Reaching for the Stars
by Elias Pedro
Summary: What does it mean to move forward? What does it mean to be free? These questions have hounded Satoshi Tainaka recently as he ponders on the significance of his life. If he reaches for the stars, then maybe... Original songfic novel. Please read and review
1. Part I Prologue, Under The Stars

**Prologue**

_I've always wondered what it was like,_

_What is was like to be free_

_Free from hardships, free from struggles…_

_Free from criticism, free from expectation…_

_It must be a sweet calm, that freedom._

_I'm not free._

_Hardships scour my life as vultures would carrion,_

_My struggles are countless and heavy,_

_The criticism is non-stop_

_And the expectation is killing me._

_I'm living under a shadow,_

_The light no longer reaches my eyes_

_And my life is slowly engulfed in the darkness._

_However… deep inside…_

_I can feel that the stars are there behind the clouds._

_Twinkling brighter and brighter without end._

_I may be living under a shadow,_

_But I'm waiting for the day…_

_Waiting for the day I can see my stars again._

_Once I reach them,_

_I will be free._

* * *

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part I, Chapter 1**

**[ Satoshi Tainaka – S ]**

"It's freezing…" I grumbled, shivering violently as my sister and I walked through the winter cold. Zipping my jacket straight up to the neck and practically embracing myself didn't do much to help either, "Seriously, what happened to global warming?"

"Of course it's cold during winter," my sister explained. The spry devil then turned to me and smirked. "Man… look at you! I'd like to show this side of you to the girls of your class."

Was she laughing at my slow freeze to death?

"Please… spare me."

_My name is Satoshi Tainaka, and that person over there is my big sister Ritsu. Yup, that's right, I'm Ritsu Tainaka's (or Riichan as her friend Yui-senpai calls her) little brother Satoshi. Never heard of me? I'm not so surprised. I'm just a regular boy after all, living a regular life. The only abnormality is that I have a famous sister. She's the drummer for her school's light music club, basically a band she formed with her friends Mio-senpai, Yui-senpai, Mugi-senpai. People know her more than me... but I guess that's what it meant to be a Tainaka._

"Oh right…" Ritsu said, stopping in her tracks as if she remembered something important.

"What is it?" I asked impatiently, wanting to get home as soon as possible

Suddenly, before I could react, my sister's cold hands were wrapped around my cheeks. It was cold!

"So warm…" she moaned sapping my heat, "it's like I'm touching a heater."

"If you touched a heater," I said, struggling to get the frozen hands off my face, "wouldn't you get burned?"

"Just kidding Satoshi-kun," she replied sticking out her tongue, "now let's head on home, okay?"

"Fine." I said, still sour for having the face I've been trying to warm ever since we left the theater frozen by her hands. Deep inside though, I felt satisfied and was laughing heartily. Somehow, I felt that Ritsu was laughing with me too.

_Despite this gaping inferiority complex, my sister Ritsu and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. From elementary to junior high, we've shared the ototo-san/one-san* relationship and have looked out for each other through thick and thin. I know it's weird for boys to have their elder sisters as a good friend, but she was the only sibling I had. We loved each other to bits. She taught me how to play the drums and I taught her how to make a mustache out of her long bangs (something she and Yui-senpai seemed to enjoy doing) and a lot of other stuff like that. In short, we enjoyed each other's company._

Just as Ritsu and I were about to head on back, a friend of mine happened to pass by.

"Hey, Tainaka!"

"Oy! Haruta!" I called back as he joined Ritsu and I

"Yo!" greeted my friend Kouji Haruta with a curt salute. "Oh... Ritsu-senpai, you're here too!"

"Hello there." Ritsu greeted back

"Anyways, I'm going to Suzuki's house Satoshi." Kouji invited, "Want to come along?"

"Well, it's up to my sister." I said folding my arms in thought

"Oh, you can go too Ritsu-senpai!" Kouji added, "Suzuki's a fan of your band after all. He's been itching to have your autograph."

"I see," Ritsu said flattered, "nah… I'll pass this time Haruta-kun, but you can go if you want Satoshi."

"Really?" I asked cheerfully.

"Sure thing." Ritsu said with a wink, "I'll talk it out with the folks so don't worry about it."

"Wow, thanks sis!" I said, thanking her with a one-armed embrace

"Don't stay too late though," she added, "and say hi to Suzuki-kun too."

"Alright."

With that, Kouji and I bid farewell and ran off to our friend's house.

* * *

**At Suzuki's House**

"Ah, just in time." Francis Suzuki, a Japanese-Canadian classmate of mine greeted as he opened the door for us, "Hurry inside before the windchill kills ya, eh?"

"Sorry to intrude," Kouji and I said as we entered the house. The two of us, took off our jackets and basked in the warmth of Francis' heated home. Man, it felt good to be warm. I felt like a frozen fish being thawed in a flame… awesome.

"So what's up France?" Kouji asked as we took off our wet shoes in the anteroom, "Finished the homework?"

"Of course," Francis said triumphantly, "and I assume you want help finishing yours."

"Please!" Kouji begged, falling to his knees. Francis had read his mind.

"I'll help out too." I offered, remembering that I finished the homework before going to the movie with Ritsu, "the more the merrier, right?"

"Ah," a young woman said pleasantly, joining us in the anteroom, "so the boys are here."

"Yeah," Francis said, "do you mind if they stay here for a while auntie?"

"Sure, sure." Francis' aunt said happily, placing her hands together, "Your friends are always welcome here, especially if Tainaka-chan's little brother is…"

"Auntie Katherine!" Francis growled

"My, my, my~!" Francis' aunt suddenly squealed. She seemed to glow as she spoke, making Francis blush madly. I wonder why…

"Anyways," Francis said, "we're gonna be studying for now, but do you mind if we use the garage later?"

'The garage?" Francis' aunt asked, "Go ahead, just be sure to clean up afterwards."

Francis' aunt then left for the kitchen, leaving the three of us to ourselves.

"Who was that?" I asked, unfamiliar with Francis' relative

"Oh, she's my aunt Katherine." Francis explained, "She's from Germany you see, but since she's visiting in Japan, she prefers to be called 'Kareha*'."

"I see…"

"She's pretty." Kouji drooled, his eyes obviously dazed.

"Don't you get any ideas, you…" Francis glared at Kouji

"Just kidding!" Kouji apologized, giving a dry laugh,

"Anyways," I interrupted, "before I forget, my sister Ritsu told me to say hi to you France."

"Did she…" Francis said, his cheeks turning red. So that's why his aunt was so worked up… Francis…

"That aside," Francis said shaking his head, "let's get this over with. There's something I want to show you in the garage you see."

The three of us then headed up to Francis' room and helping Kouji with (but most of the time, letting him copy) the homework.

_Francis Suzuki and Kouji Haruta. These guys are my two closest friends in school. We hang out and visit each other's houses a lot so our families know each other pretty well. The three of us are so close, that we're rarely found in our own houses (save for Francis, whose house we usually crash at). Francis is an intelligent and composed person like Mio-senpai who enjoys listening to music and trying out new things. Compared to Mio-senpai, he isn't phobia-ridden and is quite fond of many things (even barnacles, which could make Mio-senpai faint). Kouji on the other hand is always thinking about girls and other nonsensical things (even during school). I cringe just thinking about what the hell goes on through that guy's mind... it might be some incomprehensible barrage of factoids and pun jokes. But who knows? Maybe it's the sign of genius! Well... probably not. Anyways, they're my chums have been my companions throughout middle school._

_There is one problem with this happy picture. Francis and Kouji... they're not going to be around here much longer. Kouji's going to be moving to the countryside with his relatives while Francis is being asked to go to a Canadian high school for something called 'International Baccalaureate' or something like that. It makes me wonder what's going to happen when they're gone._

"So, Francis," I said closing the mathematics textbook in my hands, "have you finished packing your things yet? It's almost the end of winter term."

"I am actually." Francis said, "Most of my stuff's already in Halifax… that's why my room's so empty eh?"

"I wonder what it's like in Canada?" Kouji asked, "Do their sentences always end with 'eh'?"

"Kouji…" Francis grumbled, smacking him on the arm, "finish your homework."

"Yes sir…" Kouji sighed, a lump forming on the top of his head. Where have I seen that before?

"Anyways," I said standing up from where I sat, "we're almost done here. What were you planning to show us France?"

"Oh right." Francis said in realization, "It's in the garage. We'll go down there once this knucklehead's done writing the homework. Seriously dude, can't you write any faster?"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Kouji cried, scribbling faster and faster, making the paper smoke.

I wonder what Francis wanted to show us?

* * *

**Basement of the Suzuki Residence**

"Whoa…" I gasped, "this is…"

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Francis said confidently

"The shininess…" Kouji moaned covering his eyes, "I think I've gone blind!"

In the middle of Francis' basement sat a set of instruments; a guitar, a bass, a keyboard and a drum set. All of them were brand new and in mint condition. It's almost as good as the ones my sister's band plays at her school.

"So what do you think guys?" Francis asked with a grin

"This is awesome!" I cried, "Where'd you get all of this?"

"My older brother has a band in Canada you see." Francis explained, "He asked us to buy instruments here for him so that when I go there, his band has a spare set."

"I see…" I said rubbing my chin, "but why are you showing us this?"

"Well, you see." Francis said, "I asked my brother if I could have the first dibs on the instruments and he gave me the green light. 'Test them for us if you want, eh?' he told me. I've played the guitar, but I never got around to playing the other instruments since I didn't really have a band to jam with."

"So you're proposing a jam session?" Kouji asked with a raised brow

"Yup," Francis said happily, "if that's okay with you that is."

"Cool!" Kouji cried, "I may not be a Tsumugi Kotobuki, but I can play the keyboard."

"Awesome." Francis said, "Just unwrap the thing and plug it to the side Kouji."

Francis then turned to me and said,

"What about you Satoshi?"

"Well… my sister taught me to play the drums," I said, "but I'm nowhere near her skill level."

"That's okay dude!" Francis said, "All the more reason to play, right?"

"I guess you're right…" I said as I approached the drum set, "but there's only three of us here. We have no bassist."

"It's fine." Francis reassured as he connected his guitar to the amplifier, "We can still make it sound nice."

"Alright, let's begin!"

The three of us prepped the instruments and played around to test them out. When we started playing a song though, it didn't sound as good as we wanted.

"Hmm…" Francis said adjusting his guitar strap, "that didn't go too well…"

"Something's missing." I said, dropping the drumsticks on the snare, "I can't seem to get the beat right."

"Yeah…" Kouji added, "we keep getting off-track at times."

"That's because you don't have a bassist." A familiar voice explained, "Without the bass, the sound is a little hollow, you know."

"Ritsu!" I cried, surprised to see my big sister climbing down to the basement with Francis' aunt.

"You boys have a guest." Francis' aunt said with a chuckle, "I thought she might want to hear you play."

"So, you're finally playing the drums little man?" Ritsu said intrigued, "I want to see this!"

"Well," I said picking up the drumsticks, "you did teach me how to play. It's time that I learned to play by myself."

"Growing up so fast ah?" She commented, "Anyways, that's an awesome song you're trying to play, so if you want to nail it, you need a bassist."

"Do you want to play bass, sis?" I asked mischievously

"N… nah" she said trying to save face, "my fingers are cold so I can't really play too well."

"I can play though." Francis' aunt said, "I'm a bassist in the Reichstag Orchestra, so I think I can play that song."

"Right on!" Francis said, "We might even be able to do the vocals this way!"

"Sure thing Francis," replied his aunt, "you do the main voice and I'll be the backup."

Picking up and unwrapping the new bass, Francis' aunt attached the instrument to an amplifier as well and got ready to play.

"Good luck you guys!" Ritsu cheered as she sat on the staircase to watch, "Don't hold back!"

"You got it!" I said raising the sticks over the drums. The four of us then performed the song *_Fireflies_. Though the song was mostly Electronica, Francis was able to transpose it for the four band instruments. With the addition of the bass, it sounded really nice. However, the thing that stood out the most for me were the lyrics.

"_I'd like to make myself believe,_

_That planet Earth turns slowly,_

_It's hard to say I'd rather be awake when I'm asleep,_

_Cause everything is never as it seems."_

Even though I wasn't the one doing the vocals, I felt the song touch my soul. I did wish that time went slower. As we played the song, I realized, I didn't want these guys to leave, not yet. However, what could I do? Towards the end of the song, the drum and bass part ended, leaving only Francis' vocals and Kouji's keyboard echoing throughout the room. When it ended, I felt great at having been able to drum for such a great song, along with a specter of sadness that nibbled at me.

Just then, my sister stood up from her seat and gave us a lively applause.

"That was great you guys!" Ritsu said, "I'll be sure to tell the girls about this on Monday."

"I'm glad you liked it Tainaka-senpai," Francis said blushing

"Hey… you…" I grumbled, tapping Francis' head with the drumsticks

"Anyways," Ritsu said turning to me, "we'd better head on home. The parents are looking for you, they're getting mad again..."

"Well," I said to my friends, "that was fun. Let's do this again someday, okay?"

"Definitely." Francis said determinedly, "When I come back here from Canada, we'll make our own band. We might even perform at Budokan before your sister's band."

"Is that a challenge?" Ritsu asked intrigued

"Maybe," Francis said, "anyways, see you Satoshi, Tainaka-senpai."

Francis' aunt opened the door for us and my sister and I headed back home. As we walked, I couldn't help but think about my friends. Next week would be our last week in school together… and here I am thinking if we'll ever see each other again. "Only time can tell," I thought to myself, giving out a sigh that fogged up before my eyes.

"That was really good playing there Satoshi-kun," Ritsu suddenly said, "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," I said, unsure of how I felt at the moment

"If you really want something," Ritsu then said facing the sea of stars that filled the night sky, "don't be afraid to reach for the stars. If you keep believing, you'll be able to see them again. Okay?"

"Oka… wait!" I cried, "I never told you about that!"

"Well, I am your onee-san, and you are my ototo-san." Ritsu said ruffling my hair, "It's my job to know you, to be worried for you and to look out for you."

"Onee-chan…"

"Haha," Ritsu laughed, jabbing me on the side, "of course it's also my job to bug you and make your life a living hell."

"Hey… that's not fair!"

"Just kidding boy," she said cheerfully, "anyways, the parents are furious, we have to move it."

"Right."

Under the stars and the curtain of bright moonlight, my sister and I ran to our house hand in hand. What the future holds for us, I do not know. Until then, I will keep looking at the stars, waiting for the day I can reach mine.

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

*ototo-san/onee-san relationship - Little brother/Big sister relationship

*Fireflies - popular song by the artist Owl City. Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics

*Kareha - secondary character from the anime Shuffle! as well as one of the mains in my Shuffle! fanfic.


	2. Satoshi, The Disheartened Dreamer

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part I Chapter 2**

**The Tainaka Household [ S ]**

"We're home…" Ritsu called as we entered our house.

"Welcome home." My mother greeted, acknowledging our return. She wore a sweet smile as always, but I saw hints of worry on her face. I was soon about to find out why.

Mother then turned to me and whispered, "Your father's in the living room Satoshi-kun… he's pretty upset."

"What did I do this time?" I asked irritated, "Is it because I went to Suzuki's without his permission?"

"That's part of it…" Ritsu said grimly, "I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't let it go."

"And on top of that," my mother added in the same tone, "we just got your grades from the school… they weren't very pleasing to him either."

"Argh!" I gasped in shock, "My grades!"

Still wearing my shoes, I ran straight for the living room to see my father holding an opened brown envelope and a white sheet of paper marked with my fate. It was my report card.

"Satoshi-kun," my father said without looking at me, "sit down with me for a minute."

Though I couldn't see his face behind the wall of paper, I knew he was doing his best to suppress his anger. Taking a seat on a sofa, my heart thumped heavily as I waited for divine punishment. Ritsu and mom seemed nervous too; their heads poking out of the living room doorway with concerned looks on their faces.

"I'm disappointed Satoshi-kun," he said plainly, with the wall of paper erected between us, "and I think you know why."

"I'm sorry I went to Suzuki's house… okay?" I apologized to the man behind the wall, but they did nothing to appease him. It was as if my words bounced off the paper... they never reached his ears.

"Not only that…" he continued, his voice slowly evolving to a growl. The wall of paper, the only thing separating me from his fury, finally collapsed. Behind it was my father's face etched with utmost anger. Eyes of fire stared knives into mine and my heart thumped even faster. "Your average this school year is a borderline C! Do you know what that means!?"

A faint crumpling sound then slowly became audible as the papers started wrinkling. Here it was; the divine punishment I had expected. The anxiety paralyzed my tongue and chilled me to the bone.

"YOU NEARLY FAILED!" Father shouted violently, throwing the crumpled report card to the floor, "Tell me Satoshi, what have you been doing up to now? TELL ME!"

I tried to explain to him how I ended up with such a mark. I wanted to argue that our lessons were hard and that some of the teachers this year spoke too fast and many other things, but my father's frightening voice had rendered me speechless. The spectators behind the doorway wanted to intervene, but they knew it wouldn't help.

"You're smug enough to hang out with your friends even though you have grades like THIS!" He cried pointing to the crumpled paper, "You disappoint me Satoshi-kun... you really do..."

"I… I…" stammered my scared self, barely able to put together a response, "I... tried my best."

"Well," father said, not satisfied with my answer, "your best isn't good enough."

I didn't have the heart to say any more.

"You know, there's only two kinds of people in this world Satoshi-kun," father said menacingly, "those who succeed, and those who don't. And it seems you're one of those who don't… Look at your sister; she's a success! She's got good grades… though she could do better, they're much better than yours! And with her band, she's definitely on the road to success! You on the other hand have NOTHING."

As he said this, tears welled up in my eyes, but I did my best to fight them back.

"Your grades are going down the pipes," father continued, "and you just sit there doing nothing. Your life is headed nowhere!"

Just then, sobs echoed from behind the doorway. They were my mother's. The sobs distracted my father, turning his attention from me to the doorway. I couldn't take any more of this, nor could I hold back the tears that have been threatening to overflow from my soul. While he was distracted, I jumped off my chair and rushed out of the room.

"WAIT, YOU…" Father roared as I slipped past the doorway

"DAD!" Ritsu cried angrily, "That's enough! You're being too rough on Satoshi! And look… Mom's crying too!"

"Bah," father sighed, "useless little runt…"

Ritsu helped my mom up to the kitchen and brought her some water to compose herself. She then marched into the room to confront our father; sharp words flying back and forth in an argument that never seemed to stop. As this was happening, I had barricaded myself in my room. The lights were closed and I had blocked the door with everything I could move. In a dark corner of the room, I sat alone, hearing only the muffled arguments of Ritsu and my dad. Sitting in that corner, my sleeves were drenched with the tears I could no longer control. So this is how bad my life has become… It made me feel pathetic.

A few minutes later, the arguments from downstairs finally ceased, but my tears have yet to do so. Soon enough, the sound of footsteps in the hallway grew louder and louder, a set of feet scuffling towards my room. Then, there was a knock on the door.

"GO AWAY DAD!" I cried, still unable to suppress my sobs. I didn't want to see my father... not after what he told me. Thankfully, it wasn't him.

"It's Ritsu." The knocker replied, "Do you mind if I come in?"

Without waiting for a response, Ritsu turned the doorknob and opened the door with ease. The light from the hallway poured into the dark room, surprising me. The barricade had failed.

"Satoshi-kun," Ritsu said in a lighter tone, "if you want to make a barricade, be sure the door swings INTO your room and not out of the doorway."

I guess I didn't think making the barricade out too well...

"Darn it sis…" I said smiling underneath the sobs, "fine… come in, but lock the door."

Ritsu shimmied through the ill-built barricade and closed the door behind her, pushing back the light that had intruded my room. With a loud click, she locked the door and made her way to my corner.

"Dad can be an ass sometimes, huh?" Ritsu said jokingly, sitting down beside me. She was trying to cheer me up, and despite how badly I felt, it seemed to be working.

"Yeah…" I nodded, finally having control over the tears, "he is an ass… Thanks sis."

"No problem bud." She said ruffling my hair, "I talked to him already, so you don't have to worry about him coming here to beat you. But…"

"But what?" I asked

"Dad did ask me to tell you something Satoshi-kun." Ritsu added getting down to business, "He told me that he had a talk with your principal over the phone earlier. There were a lot of others who got really low this term, the principal said, but dad was still like _'low grades are unacceptable!'_ and all that."

"… Why'd he want to tell me that?"

"He wanted to say that the school was going to have a remake exam next Saturday for all of those who want to try increasing their grades." Ritsu explained, "He just wanted to tell you to study hard, but his emotions got the best of him. You know how dad is!"

"Is that so…" I said, counting the days with my fingers, "Thursday… Friday… Saturday… I have a whole week to prepare!"

"That's the spirit bud." Ritsu said happily now, "I'm sure you could do it!"

"Yeah," I said hopefully, "I'll just study with Kouji and Francis, and… wait…"

Just then, a sharp discreet pain swept over me, making my skin shiver. I was almost about to forget about it, and in truth, I really wanted to forget about it. It was something I wished didn't have to happen… however; my sister brought me back to the harsh reality.

"Aren't Haruta-kun and Suzuki-kun leaving on Friday?"

"Oh yeah…" I said, feeling my spirits diminish before the scathing truth.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Ritsu said hopefully, "You guys can still study before they leave."

"But…"

"Trust me Satoshi-kun." Ritsu assured, "You know, Yui had academic problems herself last year."

Knowing that Yui-senpai was an airhead, that wasn't surprising.

"It reached a point that Yui might have been kicked out of the school." Ritsu continued, "Since she was our lead guitarist and vocalist, losing her would mean the end of our band."

"So what happened?"

"The entire band came rushing to her aid, of course!" Ritsu exclaimed, "Though I was usually kicked out of the room for disturbing them... ahehe."

"Sounds like something they would do," I said with a faint smile

"Anyways," Ritsu said, smiling as well, "what I'm saying is that your friends would always be there for you. As Yui's friends, we stayed by her side in her times of need, and I'm sure Haruta-kun and Suzuki-kun would do the same for you."

Pointing to herself confidently, Ritsu added,

"And you have this pretty and intelligent girl as your big sister, you have nothing to fear!"

"Ahaha…" I laughed, starting to understand what she meant, "maybe you're right. Of course, I'm still doubtful about that second statement..."

"Grr," Ritsu said hitting me lightly on the head, "you little..."

"I'm sorry, i'm sorry!" I apologized laughing

"I know, I know," she said embracing me with her left arm, "So cheer up okay? Remember; '_there's always a blue sky waiting tomorrow_.'"

"Those sound like lyrics for a song." I chuckled, "It's 'Blue Sky' by Hale* isn't it?."

"Yup." she said standing up from our corner, "If you work hard, and keep believing… then I'm sure everything will be alright. And if you're worried about dad, I'll always be there for you. I promise.

"Thanks sis." I said standing up as well. "I promise I'll do well… I'll show dad what I'm made of."

"Before that though," Ritsu said turning on the lights, "clean up your room… this barricade of yours is a bit of an eyesore."

"I'll get on to it…" I said, trotting towards the barricade (which seemed really easy to disassemble, considering how quickly I put it up)

"Good luck." Ritsu said as she pranced out of the room.

"W… wait." I called, but she was long gone. "Darn it."

Looking at the huge mess I made, I realized something. If I want to be happy, I guess I have to work towards it with my own two hands. Ritsu and my friends would be there, but I must be willing to take the first step. Grabbing the barricade's scattered pieces, I started to pull it apart. One by one, I returned the pieces to where they belonged and went to bed, hoping to see the blue sky that awaited me.

**To Be Continued**

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* * *

**

'Blue Sky' by Hale* - Hale is a band from the Philippines, and Blue Sky is one of its more popular songs.


	3. Azusa, The Black Cat

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part I, Chapter 3**

**Light Music Club – The 3****rd**** Floor Music Room [ Omnipresent – O ]**

**Prologue**

"Uwaah~!" Yui Hirasawa, the lead guitarist of the club squealed with delight, "Satoshi-kun did that!? That's so cool!"

"I know right?" Ritsu explained, tapping their tea table in rhythm to imitate her brother's drumming, "I taught him some basics before, but he actually performed _Fireflies_ at his friend's house!"

"So your little brother finally played the drums." Tsumugi Kotobuki, their keyboardist commented in her usual pleased manner, "Maybe we should invite him over here sometime so we could hear him play?"

"Maybe we should!" Ritsu cried, her eyes sparkling at the suggestion, "Mugi-chan… you're a genius!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Yui said nodding vigorously, "Satoshi-kun should definitely come here! I just hope Sawako-sensei doesn't scare the heck out of him."

"Mhm," Ritsu nodded, "so what do you think Mio?"

"I don't think that's possible," Mio Akiyama, the bassist of the band argued, her tone definitely different from her companions

"Why not Mio!?" Ritsu demanded dramatically, her fist clenched and her left eye twitching.

"First of all," Mio said technically, "Sakura-gakou is an all-girl's school. They'd never let him through the gates."

"Then we'll sneak him in!" Ritsu continued

"Yeah!" Yui seconded determinedly, her eyes turning into stars, "If my little sister Ui could pass for me with her hair down, maybe Satoshi-kun could pass for Riichan with a hairband on!"

"That's not what I meant…" Ritsu said, somewhat disgusted with the idea

"In any case, it won't work out…" Mio said, unimpressed with their proposal, "Even if you do try THAT, Satoshi-kun has short hair. The hairband wouldn't help a bit."

"But still!" Yui continued, "It'll look a bit weird, but it still might work!"

"On top of that," Mio adamantly refused, "Satoshi-kun has black hair, while Ritsu here's a brunette. Do you really think he'd want to go through all the trouble just to come here?"

"Sawako-sensei could set him up with a wig!"

"No."

"You're such a killjoy…" Ritsu and Yui moaned, a heartbroken aura emanating from the two.

"Hmm…" Tsumugi said rubbing her chin, "if he can't come over here, then… why don't we pay him a visit."

"Ouuuss!!~" Yui cried, pointing a finger to the sky and stars shining in her eyes, "That's a PERFECT plan Mugi-chan. I agree!"

"I second that, captain!" Ritsu said raising her fist as well, "Mio?"

"I have no problems with it." Mio said, taking a sip from her tea. Turning over to the fifth member though, Mio asked, "So what about you Azusa? Are you free later?"

"Huh?" their fifth member, Azusa Nanako asked dazedly, "Me?"

"Yeah, you." Ritsu confirmed, staring at Azusa expecting a 'sure', "Do you want to go visit my bro Satoshi-kun after school?"

"Well I…" the girl said, unable to conjure up a proper answer.

"What's wrong Azu-nyan?" Yui asked, "You've been quiet since you got here."

"Ara~," Mugi said delightedly, "could it be that Azusa-chan…"

"No way!" Ritsu cried in disbelief. Turning to Azusa, she demanded, "Do you like my brother!?"

"N… no." Azusa denied shaking her head shyly, "It's just that I've seen him before… three times actually."

"Did you now?" Ritsu asked, intrigued about her brother's possible sortie, "What happened between the two of you… huh~?"

"I remember it like this…" Azusa recounted

* * *

**In the Middle School Hallways****, One year ago**

"Uh… Azusa-chan…"Satoshi said

"Yeah?" Azusa asked

"N… nice to meet you," Satoshi said, "I… I'm S…Satoshi Tainaka…"

"N… nice to m… m… meet you too." Azusa replied

"Well…" Satoshi said turning around and heading the other way, "I… uh… erm… have something to do. See you."

Before Azusa could wave goodbye, the boy was already gone.

* * *

**In the Mall****, Six months ago**

"Azusa-chan!" A surprised Satoshi cried

"Oh, Satoshi-kun." Azusa asked, "What's up?"

"N… nothing much." He said turning around and heading the other way, "Anyways, s… sorry to disturb you."

Before Azusa could wave goodbye, the boy was already gone.

* * *

**In the Train Station, Three weeks ago**

Satoshi was headed somewhere when he ran into Azusa. He saw her and blushed madly, unable to speak. He turned around and headed the other way.

Azusa barely noticed him, but before she could wave hello, the boy was already gone.

* * *

Obviously, Satoshi had been trying to talk to Azusa for over a year now. His pathetic attempts however could bring tears to people's eyes.

"That's what happened." Azusa said, turning red herself

"Man…" Ritsu said rubbing her brow, "my brother's so hopeless…"

"Satoshi-kun is a nice kid," Tsumugi said, "but it seems he's a shy one."

"Hmm…" Ritsu said in thought, "then that should make our visit later even more interesting, don't you think Azusa?"

"Eyeah!" Azusa cried, her face getting redder by the second, "I'm not thinking of that!"

"So you're not coming with us later Azusa-chan?" Mio asked calmly

"Well…" Azusa said calming down a bit, "I didn't say that either… I'll go."

"Alright!" Ritsu and Yui said in unison.

"Visiting Satoshi-kun ah…" Azusa thought to herself, "I wonder what it'd be like…"

**To Be Continued**


	4. An Urgent Escape!

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part I, Chapter 4**

**Satoshi's School Courtyard – After Class [ S ]**

"That's harsh dude." Francis said as he, Kouji and I walked out of the school and into the cold Monday afternoon, "That means you only have four days to prepare for that makeup exam."

"Well…" I said scratching my head, "at least I have a chance to get a higher mark."

"Don't worry about it Satoshi!" Kouji comforted energetically, already fully recovered from his melancholy fit after receiving his grades, "Be thankful you passed. Okay?"

"That's not reassuring, coming from you…" I groaned, "you got a worse average than me you know!"

"Why should you be so worked up about grades, man?" Kouji asked, "'Enjoy life', that's my motto. I have no time for academics; I want to live my life to the fullest."

Francis and I weren't sure whether or not to take this statement seriously, but we decided to do the latter.

"Anyways," Kouji said changing the topic, "what do you think's going on over there?"

Turning to where Kouji pointed, we saw a large crowd of students gathering at the school gates. Our school was a relatively small one, the size of those you see in small cities with a capacity of about a thousand students. Over the years, more and more people moved into the city, sending their kids to study here and bringing the number of students over the capacity. On top of that, it was a co-ed school meaning both boys and girls attended the school. Therefore, it wasn't an unusual sight for the gates to be filled with students. This time though, it was more congested than usual and nobody was moving. They seemed to be cheering for someone too and chanting things… could it be a celebrity passing by?

"No idea." Francis shrugged, unable to see what everyone else was so worked up about, "Let's check it out eh?

Heading over to the gates, the three of us deftly sliced through the people and made our way to the other side of the wall. We had a hard time doing so, and taking a few steps forward involved a lot of pushing and shoving every now and then. Once we got close enough though, we finally saw the cause of the commotion. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Ritsu!? And everyone else too!"

"Ahehe," Ritsu said apologetically, "the girls and I just wanted to drop by and say hello, but we didn't expect such a welcome."

There they were, my sister's band 'Afterschool Tea Time'; Yui Hirasawa, their clumsy and peppy lead guitarist, Tsumugi Kotobuki, their gentle and lighthearted keyboardist, Mio Akiyama, their mature yet phobia-prone bassist, my sister Ritsu who plays the drums and… and… Azusa-chan, their second guitarist… darn… of all times, why does she have to be here!?

Pressing on, we finally joined them in the midst of the crowd and finally understood their predicament. There were about a hundred of my schoolmates, apparently fans of 'Afterschool Tea Time' surrounding us and there seemed to be no hope of escaping. Being in the middle of it all was overwhelming; it was a little hard to breathe and Mio-senpai seemed ready to faint. Yui-senpai and Tsumugi-senpai however, totally oblivious to the dangerous situation, were already busy giving out autographs to their fans.

"Au-to-graph~ au-to-graph~" Yui hummed as she penned autograph after autograph. The fans were already getting rowdy, but it didn't bother her at all (but what in the world could bother Yui-senpai, really?)

"We have to get out of here." I whispered to them, "I'm worried about the crowd. Who knows what could happen?"

"Agreed," Ritsu whispered back, "so what do you boys plan to do?"

"I've got an idea," Francis said with a grin, "just trust us, okay girls?"

"A... anything to g… get out of here," mumbled Mio-senpai, shivering in fright

Francis then whispered his plan to us. It was a crazy yet simple plan, but it might just work. He then turned to the girls and cried,

"RUN LIKE HELL!"

Not wasting another moment, the three of us grabbed the girl's hands and dragged them out of the crowd. Our plan took the girls by surprise, but etiquette and gentleman-ness could wait and so would Yui-senpai's autograph sessions. Francis dragged Yui-senpai and Mugi-senpai (who seemed to be enjoying the whole thing), Kouji had Mio-senpai (who had already fainted as soon as Francis shouted) while I held on to my sister Ritsu and… and… oh dear. I… I w… was holding Azusa-chan's hand!

After a while, the eight of us were finally able to escape the crowd of fans. Of course they chased after us, so we took refuge in a small alley to let the heat cool down.

"Phew, it worked." Francis panted, letting go of Yui-senpai and Mugi-senpai

"Over already?" Yui asked disappointed. She looked as if she had just gotten off a roller coaster ride. "I was just having fun!"

"At least we made it out of there safely." Ritsu said letting go of my hand, "That could've gotten out of control."

"I know right?" Kouji said letting go of Mio-senpai, "I didn't know you had so many fans Akiyama-senpai. All of the guys wanted your autograph!"

She didn't respond, obviously still traumatized by the whole ordeal.

"Poor Mio." Ritsu chuckled, "She'll come to soon though."

"Other than Mio-senpai," I asked looking around, "Is everyone alright?"

"We're all fine." Mugi-senpai said. When she faced me though, she smiled all of the sudden and said, "My, my Satoshi-kun. Gotten over your shyness already?"

Just then, I remembered that I was still holding on to Azusa-chan's hand!

"I'm sorry!" I cried, releasing her hand immediately, "I didn't know…"

"It's alright Satoshi-kun…" Azusa-chan said, somewhat composed, "I don't mind holding your hand…"

Just then, the conscious members of the band surrounded us with expectant eyes and tried (failing miserably) to suppress the grins on their faces. Their eyelashes batted madly, making Azusa-chan blush uncontrollably.

"I… I meant, you had to do it to help us out of there!" Azusa said abruptly

"Y… yeah." I said, nodding my head desperately, "t… that's why."

"Anyways," Francis said, "what brings the entire 'Afterschool Tea Time' band to our humble school?"

"Oh," Yui-senpai answered excitedly, "we were supposed to dress up Satoshi-kun with a Sakura-gakou uniform and set him up with a wig so we could sneak him into our school and see him play the drums!"

"WHAT!?" I cried, appalled by their atrocious plans, "NO WAY IN HELL WOULD I EVER DO THAT!"

"Umm… Yui…" Ritsu said utterly embarrassed, "that's not why we're here…"

"So we're not going to dress Satoshi-kun up?" Yui-senpai said in her usual clueless tone

"No." Everyone said unanimously

"Ahehe, sorry." She apologized, tapping her forehead

"I told them about your performance in Suzuki-kun's house on Sunday." Ritsu said, "They just wanted to drop by and congratulate you."

"I see." I said, utterly relieved that I wasn't going to be abducted and turned into a dress-up doll, "Thanks guys."

"Anyways." Ritsu continued, "Since you boys saved us, and since all of us are free, d'ya guys wanna hang out for a bit?"

"Sure thing!" Koiji said excitedly, "It would be an honor to escort such lovely girls around town."

Kouji's offer, as always, wasn't very assuring. In any case, we were all free that Monday afternoon, so hanging out wouldn't be too much of a hassle. Also, Mio-senpai could use a glass of water. The eight of us (Ritsu speaking on behalf of Mio) agreed and headed off to the strip malls together. The air was cheerful and everyone seemed to be having a good time, however there was a lingering fright in my mind. I would be hanging out with Azusa-chan for the next few hours… I don't know what to do. I hope it doesn't go too bad.

**To Be Continued**


	5. Window Shopping and Corned Beef

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part I, Chapter 5**

**Mall Food Court, Mike Donald's* [ S ]**

"Heave… ho!" Kouji grunted as he set the still fainted Mio-senpai on a chair, "Man, this girl's heavy…"

"Ooooh~" Yui-senpai hummed with misguided determination as we took our seats in the fast food restaurant, "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Ritsu asked as she and I brought trays laden with burgers and fries on the table.

"Though she may be trying to hide it (and she's very good at it too)," Yui said as if she was telling a ghost story, "she's actually really overweight!"

"Yui-senpai…" Azusa-chan groaned, "just look at her tummy. It's flat!"

"Precisely!" Yui-senpai cried, clearly not getting the point.

The rest of us had a laugh and Yui-senpai joined in, not knowing why she was laughing. I guess it was better to keep it that way for now. As we talked though, Mio-senpai finally came to.

"W… where the h-"

"Mornin' Mio!" Ritsu greeted, handing her the milkshake she ordered on her behalf

"M… morning?" Mio asked, her grumpiness turning into shyness, "Did I…"

Yui-senpai, Tsumugi-senpai and Ritsu nodded vigorously.

"Oh dear~…" Mio gasped as if she was going to faint again.

"Ep!" Ritsu halted Mio-senpai, handing her a milkshake, "Don't you go fainting on us again!"

Luckily, Mio-senpai took a sip from her milkshake and came back to life. Phew. The idle chatter continued and we got back to eating our meals.

* * *

Hanging out with my sister's band has been pretty fun for the most part. The nine of us got along pretty well, come to think of it. Being Ritsu's brother, I've known Mio-senpai, Yui-senpai and Tsumugi-senpai for two years now so familiarity wasn't too much of an issue. They blended well with Francis and Kouji too. On top of that, Azusa-chan and I started to get comfortable talking to each other. Maybe it's the 'your friends are my friends' concept, since after an hour or so, it seemed as if the nine of us have known each other for years. Our little outing however wasn't at all that unstressed.

It was the dismissal time of most of the schools and the closing time of some of the nearby offices, so the mall was crowded, and I mean it was packed. Everyone flocked here from the schools and offices to hide from the blistering cold outside. The mall has a heater system after all, so it was pretty much a warm sanctuary. This meant that it was hard to get around and that there were quite a few more of those rabid fans from earlier.

"It's 'Afternoon Tea Time!'", one person would point out. A crowd is then summoned in an instant. It was as if some zombie horde of fans and paparazzi hungry for the 'fame aura' my sister and her friends emitted (which multiplied whenever they were together) rose up from the dead and surrounded us. This was where us guys (and Ritsu too for the most part) became bouncers.

Francis, Kouji., Ritsu and I acted so much like bodyguards that it wouldn't feel out of place to be wearing black coats, ties and sunglasses. Yui-senpai even talked to us as if she had an FBI earpiece, so I guess we were overdoing it. Anyways, slowly but surely, we were able to cut through the crowd. However, a persistent cameraman kept taking photos of us point blank. We've pushed him back into the crowd many times, but kept coming back for more; he was annoying. When the crowd thickened though, we somehow shook him off our tails. This advantage, of course, proved to be yet another inconvenience. Despite our best efforts, it got harder and harder to move and we lost sight of each other quite often. Soon enough, the inevitable happened.

"Umm… Satoshi-kun…" Azusa-chan asked, tapping my shoulder, "Where's everyone else?"

"Th… that's what I'm trying to find out right now…" I grumbled, unable to find everyone else in the sea of people.

"What should we do Satoshi-kun?" Azusa-chan asked, "I think we're lost."

"I… guess so…" I mumbled fishing for my cellphone, "Let me try- oh…"

As soon as I took out the phone, the thing ran out of batteries. Just my luck…

"My phone died," I said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I guess it's just us for now."

"Umm, don't worry about it…" Asusa-chan said shyly, "We'll meet up at the entrance at closing time anyways, so let's just get out of this crowd for now."

"Yeah." I said, shepherding the two of us through the torrents of people.

We found ourselves some benches by a fountain in the mall's central plaza. The two of us took a seat and watched the mall in motion, people heading in all directions bringing shopping bags of all colors, shapes and sizes. All around us, Christmas decorations and smiling faces painted the surroundings in a cheerful tone. Before we knew it, the crowd that had seemed so dreary just moments ago was now a happy sight. Turning to Azusa-chan, I saw that she too was enthralled by what she saw.

"I guess it's no use staying here Azusa-chan." I said with a smile, "If we go around ourselves, we might run into them a little earlier."

"Eh?" Azusa-chan asked surprised, "but…"

"Besides," I offering the girl my hand, "It would be a waste to just stay here in the plaza. We can still enjoy ourselves."

"Y… you're right." Azusa-chan said taking my hand with a shy smile, "Let's go."

Hand in hand, the two of us dived back into the ocean of people. Thoughts raced wildly through my mind and my heart pounded madly in my chest. For the past year, we've been to shy to muster up the courage to even speak to each other, but here we were together and unafraid. Things have changed for me* it seems.

* * *

**Mall Convenience Store **

"Satoshi-kun," Azusa-chan asked as we entered the store, "what are we doing here?"

"I'm going to get my cellphone charged up." I said handing the storekeeper my cellphone and fifty kinsu*, "We should at least let them know we're fine."

"Ah, I see…"

"It's going to take a while," I said as the shopkeeper started charging the phone, "so we can look around while waiting."

"Alright." Azusa-chan said turning to a rack of magazines, "I'll just have a look at these then."

Giving her a nod, I browsed the store for snacks, hoping to find something appetizing to buy. Sadly, I couldn't find anything interesting. The latest volume of the Shuffle! Days in the Bloom* manga caught my eyes, featuring Primula* who looked a tad bit like Azusa-chan, but it wasn't something I could eat now, could I? What caught my attention though was the void in the convenience store shelves sitting where the tins of corned beef are supposed to be. Someone's planning a pig-out session, I'm guessing.

Shrugging, I went back to the counter to check on my phone. There, I saw perhaps the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. The girl had perfect posture stood before the counter with a radiant smile and a warm and cheerful aura. Her nails were painted and her hands, though laden with accessories, looked smooth and gentle. In the clutches of the beautiful hands of the perfect-looking lady, a paper bag brimming with tins of corned beef… What the heck? I just solved the mystery of the corned beef void.

Apparently, the shopkeeper was asking for her autograph or something too. Is she an actress of something? Just then, Azusa-chan called out to me from the magazine rack.

"What's up?" I asked, standing beside the girl, "You wanna buy that magazine?"

"No…" she said pointing to a picture in the magazine, "look at this!"

Taking a closer look at the picture she pointed out, I saw a beautiful girl posing in designer clothing in a pristine field where the sun was shining brightly and… and… wait a second. She looks like that girl with the corned beef!

"It's Ami Kawashima," Azusa-chan explained in a whisper, "she's a model working for many of the designer brands in the city. She's really pretty and a lot of the girls at our school are jealous of her."

"I can see why…" I said, admiring the girl's pleasant smile and her cheerful voice ringing in my ears. Dear God, if Kouji were here, he'd be all over her by now flirting (and failing miserably)…

"Satoshi-kun…" Azusa-chan said facing me with concern, "you're drooling."

"Am I?"

"…"

"Ahehe," I laughed, getting myself together, "sorry about that."

As I regained my composure, a peculiar figure entered the convenience store. It was that damn persistent cameraman from earlier! He walked into the store as if he was a regular shopper; browsing through the shelves as everyone else would. This however was only to hide his ulterior motive. He pushed aside some of the shelf items and aimed the camera at the model at the counter. Silent clicks reached my ears as the man took photo after photo of the unwitting girl. A stalker…

"Hey you!" I cried, pointing my finger at the bastard, "You're getting really annoying, you know that!? You should ASK if people want to have their photos taken!"

"Argh shit…" the cameraman cursed as the girl and the shopkeeper turned their heads to the man, "Damn you!"

Without another word, the man darted out of the shop. As he ran out though, the man kept taking photos in a frenzy…

"I'm calling mall security," the shopkeeper grunted, picking up the phone, "thank you for pointing out that sicko, boy."

"It was nothing," I said proudly, "that guy's been bothering us earlier too, so I was kinda pissed off at him already."

"Good job Satoshi-kun!" Azusa-chan said, "I hope that guy gets caught!"

"Me too…" the girl called Ami said in a thankful tone, approaching us with that same kind smile, "I guess I should thank you then."

"Like I said, it was nothing." I said smiling back, "He's a sicko. He deserves worse."

"I guess you're right." Ami said ponderously, "But tell me, why would he be bugging the two of you?"

"Oh," Azusa-chan said, "that's because I'm part of 'Afterschool Tea Time'. The whole band came to the mall together and that guy was taking pictures of us too."

"'Afterschool Tea Time'!?" Ami asked pleasantly surprised, "Oh yeah!"

The girl lifted one of the paper bags she was carrying (one that apparently wasn't filled with corned beef) and took out a CD.

"'Cagayake! GIRLS'*." she said showing us the CD's cover, "I've been hearing a lot about your band, so I bought your CD."

"Thank you for supporting the industry*!" Azusa-chan said with a bow, "Starving artists around the world thank you!"

"Haha," Ami chuckled, "I'm an artist too, in a sense, so I know what you mean."

She then extended her free hand to us and said,

"Anyways, my name is Ami Kawashima so just call me Ami-chan. Nice to meet you."

"Azusa Nagano," Azusa-chan said shaking her hand, "second guitarist of the band."

"Satoshi Tainaka," I added as I shook hers as well, "I'm…"

"The little brother of the drummer Ritsu," Ami-chan asked, "am I correct?"

"Yeah…" I said a little disappointed, "you know my famous sister it seems, I'm not surprised."

"Well," Ami-chan said, "at the end of the day, fame is just fame; a short-lived and shallow impression. Also, as you just saw, it has it's downsides…"

"I know." I said with my head lowered. I don't hate my sister or anything, but I did get jealous every so often. Ami-chan looked as if she wanted to say something, but her cellphone suddenly rang.

"I'm sorry you two," she said as she flipped open her phone, "a model's work is never done."

The two of us bid the girl farewell as she made her way out of the store. Just before she left though, she waved at us and said,

"Maybe we'll run into each other again someday."

The smile the girl beamed at me pierced though my heart and I felt my cheeks warm somehow. Run into each other huh? Chuckling, I headed over to the counter and collected my phone.

"What's up Satoshi-kun?" Azusa-chan askeda as we left the convenience store

"N… nothing really." I said turning on my phone and typing a message, "I was just thinking we should send a text to Ritsu and the rest so they know we're fine."

"That's a good idea." Azusa-chan said, "Anyways, let's go."

"Yeah…"

Walking out into the sea of people, I was submerged in thought. Meet again someday…. Watching as the model's fine flowing hair disappeared into that broad sea, I hoped that that 'someday' was soon. All of that's just wishful thinking of course; there's no way we could be friends. She's a model after all and I'm just plain ole' Satoshi Tainaka. Besides, I already have a pretty companion with me and I'm happy that we can spend some time together like this.

* * *

**The Mall**

A lot of great things on sale layered the stores in a gleaming brightness that day; scarves, sweaters, coats, everything! Window-shopping was quite entertaining but it reminded us that the two of us were strapped for cash. Why did I have to pay for Yui-senpai's value meal anyway!? Anyways the two of us didn't have a lot of money on us, and there was one specific store that made us wish we had more dough; the music shop.

Guitars, basses, keyboards, drums… all of these dotted the shop in abundance. Being musicians ourselves, it was a overwhelming sight… paradise much? The only things that kept this place from being utopia were the price tags. The damn things hung loosely from the instruments, mocking our financial handicap. 120,000 kinsu for a guitar… 100,000 for a drumset… what happened to the Recession!?

Sighing the most disappointed sighs humanely possible; we left the shop empty-handed and headed for the entrance to meet the others. Despite this, the two of us were happy. We enjoyed each other's company after all, and that's all that mattered.

"Oy!" Kouji cried as he spotted the two of us approach them, "It's the lovebirds!"

"Oh my," Tsumugi-sepai said cheerfully, "Satoshi-kun DID get over his shyness! They're holding hands!"

"How sweet," Yui-senpai commented, "Satoshi-kun and Azu-nyan… ka-wa-ii~!"

"Hey guys," I greeted the group, "what's going on?"

The group was unusually excited upon our arrival; I mean they're always peppy and all, but this was a bit too much. Everyone had expectant smiles on their faces and I didn't know why. Ritsu however seemed ready to cry. She then came to me with a tight hug and started shedding tears of happiness.

"MY LITTLE BROTHER'S ALL GROWN UP!"

Eh?

"Congrats Satoshi," Francis said with felicitation, "Azusa-chan… I approve."

Usually, vigorous denials and explanations would have followed such comments, but the two of us just smiled. We… liked each other after all, so why should we be ashamed? The nine of us then headed home

**To Be Continued**

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………**.**

Mike Donald's* - A parody of Mc Donald's (if it wasn't obvious enough)

Things have changed for me* - from _That Green Gentleman_ by Panic! At The Disco

Kinsu* - The Japanese currency in this story as well as the currency in Verbena in Shuffle! The Red Dawn

Shuffle! Days in the Bloom* - Manga of the Shuffle! Anime, adapted from the Shuffle! Visual novel

Primula* - Character of the Shuffle! Series. Oddly looks like Azusa Nagano in some regards.

Cagayake! GIRLS* - The opening song of K-On! and one of the songs in the OST. (Azusa was not in the song originally)

Starving artists around the world* - The struggling music industry. Stimulate the economy! XD


	6. The First Farewell of Many

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part I, Chapter 6**

**Central Train Station [ S ]**

Two days had passed since that day in the mall. Today was the day I had long feared would come. Francis and Kouji, the two friends who had been at my side since elementary were about to take a train out of the city. Kouji would be taking the train to the countryside where he would live with his relatives while Francis would take it all the way to Tokyo to catch a flight to Vancouver, Canada. This would be the last time I would see them for a long time.

Kouji, Francis and I were silent as we waited in the cold, open-air station, seated on the stone benches that lined the station platform. Snow fell in a mild flurry as the wind gently brushed against our faces. The train they were taking would start boarding in about ten minutes, which wasn't that long from now. Those ten minutes however proved to be the longest minutes I've ever had to wait in my life.

"So Satoshi," Francis then said, breaking the silence, "you ready for the make-up exam?"

"Yeah… I think so…" I mumbled half-heartedly

Indeed I was prepared for the exam. For the past two days, my friends have been helping me study for that exam. All-nighters abound and insane numbers of practice-sheets answered, I think I was pretty damn ready. The only thing that bothered me though was that the people who had helped me wouldn't be there to see me overcome my troubles… It wasn't a very pleasant thought, and I tried not to think of it as much as I could. That fact, however, became harder and harder to deny as I watched the train crew prepare the train and the other passengers line up to board.

"I guess this is it Satoshi," Kouji said with genuine concern, something you don't hear coming from him too often, "we've gotta go now."

"Yeah." I said as the three of us stood up from where we sat, "Bye guys. I really hoped you could've stayed…"

"Don't worry Satoshi," Kouji reassured, "we'll be in touch, okay?"

"That's right," Francis added, "you can send us an email or chat Ohayo Messenger*"

"I know, I know." I said as I walked with them to the line, "I'll be fine."

Slowly but surely, the people trickled into the train. The line grew shorter and shorter… it was excruciating.

"Oh yeah," Francis said just before they boarded the train, "there's something I've been meaning to give you Satoshi."

He reached into his knapsack and pulled out a pair of familiar-looking drumsticks.

"Drumsticks? Hey… those are…"

"Yeahp," Francis said handing them to me, "those are the drumsticks that came with the drum set over at the house."

"Wait a minute… you're bringing those instruments over to Canada for your brother's band right? Then why are you giving this to me?"

"They're just drumsticks Satoshi," Francis said casually as always, "my brother's band has loads of those. Besides, I think it would be a suitable farewell gift."

"Eh…?"

"Anyways," Francis said ruffling my hair, "this train's gotta move. Until we meet again Satoshi!"

"W… wait!"

In an instant, the train's automatic doors quickly shut and a wall of glass and steel separated me from my friends. They were only a few feet away from me, but at that moment, they already seemed so far away.

"Please step away from the train kid," one of the security guards said, pulling me back a bit.

"Ah… sorry," I said taking a good pace back. Before I knew it, the train was already in motion and moved out into the snow-covered distance. Francis and Kouji waved from the glass and I waved back, watching as we drifted further and further apart. Soon enough, they were out of sight and the train disappeared into the white palette of snow. Sighing, I turned around and headed out of the train station.

"Drumsticks huh…" I said to myself as I held on to the well-made, polished drumsticks. I slid the sticks into my pocket and paced towards the exit. There, my sister, Azusa-chan and everyone else were waiting for me.

"They're gone already?" Ritsu asked

"Yeah…" I said with a hint of remorse. Turning to Azusa-chan and the rest, I said, "Thanks for coming guys, I'm sure Francis and Kouji appreciated it."

"I hope so," Yui-senpai said caringly, "even though we've known them for a short while, the friend of a brother of a friend is a friend of ours."

That was surprisingly logical…

"Anyways," Mugi-senpai said as Yui-senpai, Mio-senpai and Azusa-chan joined her, "we have to be going now. We'll see you later Ritsu, Satoshi-kun.

The bassist, lead guitarist and keyboardist bid us farewell, leaving Ritsu and I alone on the station gates.

"Let's go home Satoshi-kun," Ritsu said putting her arm over my shoulder, "it's getting dark."

"Yeah…" I muttered, watching my breath fog up before me. As we walked through the thick snow, the harsh cold didn't bother me a bit but my sister's consoling arm lent me no repose either. The only thing I could think of were my friends… I was all alone now…

* * *

**Tainaka Household, Satoshi's Room**

**Thursday Night**

Textbooks, notebooks and paper laden with messy handwriting littered my study desk as I tried going over some of the practice sheets and handouts. Little progress was made though as I found myself twirling my pen around and lazing on my chair. I've gone over these things before, but none of them seemed to register on my mind.

Things weren't any better at school earlier today either. The empty seats beside me in the classroom which previously belonged to Francis and Kouji were now empty vacuums of space. Things were a lot quieter as there was no one to talk to during class and to good off with anymore. Despite this solitude, I couldn't understand a word my teachers were saying. At the back of my head, I knew I had to be listening, but I simply couldn't concentrate.

Even now, as I reclined in that chair, I couldn't wave my friends away from my mind. I took out the drumsticks Francis had given me and stared at it under the light of my lamp. Turning the sticks around, I watched every detail of the sticks, taking note of the smooth texture and the thin layer of shiny varnish that coated it when a particular detail caught my attention. On the side of one of the sticks, the name 'Satoshi Tainaka' was engraved.

Though it wasn't exactly a neat engraving (since there were tiny scratch marks around the name) it was nice to know Francis went through the trouble of adding that little bit. There and then, I came up with the greatest idea to cure my procrastination. I quickly dialed Francis' cellphone number and hit the call button without second thought. In two rings, the Japanese-Canadian answered, "Hey Satoshi-kun."

"Francis, what's up man?"

"Oh, I just got past the airport security at Narita and ooooh it was such a hassle."

I've never been through airport security before, but from watching all those Hollywood movies on the internet, I had an exaggerated image of what my friend went through; sucks to be him.

"How do you like the drumsticks by the way?" he asked cheerfully,

"I noticed the engraving…" I joked sarcastically, "great handiwork there Francis…"

"Hey! Don't blame me!" Francis lashed, "I never liked Workshop class, and Workshop class never liked me!"

"Just kidding," I chuckled, "I appreciate the effort."

"No problem." Francis replied cheerfully, "It's a farewell gift my friend, giving you two plain sticks is no fun. It's like French fries without Poutine* dude!"

Uhm… what?

"Never mind…" Francis apologized, "Canadian expression… I meant that I was just trying to make it special"

"Oh-kay…" At least he didn't smother the sticks in gravy and melted cheese curds. That would've made his Poutine reference way too literal for comfort.

"Speaking of Poutine," Francis said happily, "I'll be sure to let you try some when I come back!"

Poutine huh… I've eaten some strange things before, but the very thought of French fries with gravy and cheese is gut-wrenchingly mortifying (though I admit it sounds intriguing).

"I'll… uh… look forward to that." I said trying to find middle ground in my conflicting reactions, "anyways Francis. I've been meaning to ask you… why'd you give me drumsticks of all things?"

"Well," Francis said in thought, "you're a drummer dude, so I added two and two together there and thought I'd give you drumsticks."

"You could've gotten me a whole drumset," I poked

"Keep dreaming…" Francis sneered. He cleared his voice and continued. "Anyways, for the second reason, let me ask you a question… will you be able to play well using your sister's drumsticks?"

"Erm… you lost me there a bit Francis. I think I can play decently well with my sister's drumsticks! Remember the time when I snuck you and Kouji into Ritsu's room so we could try out her drum set a few years ago. I didn't play half-bad!"

Francis chuckled. It seemed I wasn't getting his point, leaving me confused as ever.

"You know Satoshi," Francis continued, "when you played the drums at my house with those drumsticks, you seemed to play differently."

"Eh? I played just as I always did…" I said, remembering that chance performance, "I didn't really do anything different from when I was practicing on Ritsu's drum."

"But that was the first time you played an actual song." Francis reminded.

"Oh right…"

"Also, you were the first one to use those sticks." Francis said, "So, being the first actual user, you made those sticks your own."

Grasping the drumsticks in my hand, I remembered sitting behind the drums in Francis' basement and picking up these very sticks I had now. I felt an affinity for them the moment I held them and the beats came almost naturally.

"What I'm trying to say Satoshi-kun is to take hold of your life." Francis explained, "Though it's nice to have a sister who is willing to lend you a helping hand, you can't completely rely on her. Work hard and learn to stand up on your own feet as well!"

"I see…" Somehow I was starting to grasp the message.

"The same goes for Kouji and me." Francis added, "Though you tried to hide it, you seemed quite down when we were about to leave. Have faith in yourself dude! Kouji and I won't be there to help you, but we'll be rooting for you! Okay?"

"Okay." I said a little bit cheerier than earlier

"Oh, and I'm sure your girlfriend wants you to do well too!" Francis prodded

Just before I retort else, an airport announcement rang in the background.

"Argh," Francis groaned, "my flight's already on last call! Hey, I gotta go man…."

"Alright," I said, "I won't be keeping you any longer then. Have a safe trip!"

"Thanks. I'll offline message* you on Ohayo messenger when I land in Vancouver!" Francis cried as I heard run through the airport hallways, dragging what seemed to be a wheeled suitcase along with him. A light traveler I guess. Francis hung the phone and I let out a sigh of relief.

Turning to the textbooks, I set the drumsticks aside and picked up the ball pen I've been twirling all night. I held on to the pen firmly as I started some practice questions and worked into the night. Francis… Kouji… Ritsu… Azusa… and everyone else too… All these people were rooting for me and want me to do well. This exam is for them. I'll work hard… I'll take hold of my life. I'll show my parents that I can play my own melody too. I won't let you guys down.

**To Be Contined**

* * *

*Ohayo Messenger – A parody of Yahoo Messenger. Notice thati if you move an 'o', the 'h' and the 'a' of Yahoo to behind the 'Y' in that order, you have 'ohaYo'

*Poutine – A Canadian French-fry topping. It consists of a layer of gravy and melted cheddar cheese curds over French-fries. Oddly delicious, I must say!


	7. Try To Move Forward

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part I, Chapter 7**

**On the way to Satoshi's School**

**Friday – The day of the Make-up Exams**

Darn it was cold… Snow was falling all around my as I trod through the sidewalk buried in whiteness, leaving large footsteps in the shape of my winter boots. It was definitely colder than the other days, but I tried not to let that get me down. In reality though, I wanted to go back home, but there was something I still needed to do. There was no turning back now

Today was the day of the make-up exams. Everyone's rooting for me, I told myself. I have to do my best. That determination kept me warm as I made my way towards my school, but a lingering fear nibbled at me from the back of my mind. What if I didn't pass? Nah… don't think like that. Shaking my head, I carried on to my classroom; the battlefield of my fate.

As a graduating middle-school student, I was taking five courses; Mathematics, Integrated Sciences, Japanese, English and Social Sciences. This means that I would have to write five make-up exams in this run. The make-up exam would be written on a stretch of three days; one exam today, two on Saturday and the last two on Sunday. What a hassle… On top of that, my father expects no less than perfection. I have to prove my worth! An impossible feat, but I might as well give it a shot. Taking out my ball pen, I wrote my name on the top-left corner of the sheet and started answering the questions. The exam for the day was Integrated Science.

Integrated Science and I have had a little bit of a history. My grades in that subject have been volatile throughout my stay in this school, but more often than not get borderline grades in the subject. The highest grade I've ever achieved in that subject was a B- and I tell you my dad has always been pissed at me because of it. This time though, I felt like it was going to be different. Everything was going well for that exam. The multiple choice questions were simple enough and the graphing parts were manageable (Thank God for Francis and his impressive reviewers!). At that rate, I was going to get an 'A' for sure! My heart pounded as the long-awaited prize seemed to be in reach. This hopefulness of mine however would soon be tarnished as the problem solving portion rolled in.

The moment I saw those damn questions before me, I was dumbfounded. I knew I prepared for this but somehow the information was jammed up in my head. It was as if a traffic accident happened in the avenues of my mind. I couldn't think straight… I started panicking.

Calm down Satoshi… you can do this. Everyone helped you prepare for this, so it should be fine. Just breathe easy… breathe slowly.

This wasn't helping.

Despite my best efforts not to worry, my heart was pounded frightened in my head and a bead of sweat trickled down my brow. I couldn't hold the pen in my hand properly and uncomfortably twirled it in my hands. This was bad… I had to get myself together. The exam had three parts, I said trying to console myself. The other two were in the bank, so I just had to try and get some work done so reduce the damage. As soon as I checked the marking scheme though, I was disheartened yet again; the problem solving was 40% of the exam.

60% down, I told myself, trying to save myself from the brink of desperation. I have 60%, meaning a D. The passing mark is C, translating to 70%, so I just needed to get at least one or two of them right to be safe. As soon as I started calculating my mark though, I started to remember the numbers in the multiple choice and graphing portions I was on the fence about. If I got some of them wrong, then I'd have to do more problem-solving questions to compromise! This wasn't helping me at all.

Twenty minutes. That was how much time was left before the end of the exam. For the past few minutes, I had been staring blankly at the stack of papers that was the third part of the exam. Aside from my name and sparse dead-end attempts to answer the questions, the paper remained empty. I couldn't think straight at all and I was starting to lose hope. I knew exactly what the questions were asking for and how to solve for them, but the myriad of Science equations spiraled in around my head dizzying me. I knew the equations but I didn't know how to use them… I was so frustrated at myself. There I was, on the brink of an 'A', on the brink of showing everyone what I'm made off, on the brink of making everyone happy for a change… and now, I'm about to fail my first make-up exam.

I could just let this exam pass me by, I thought to myself. If I did that and got a D here, the mark that would appear on my final report card would be the C I originally got. The same could be said about the other subjects since I didn't have a grade lower than C. I've already passed the school year. I'm going to graduate. However, simply passing wasn't the point of that exam. No, this exam has a lot more at stake than it seems. My place in this world is what's at stake. Who is Satoshi Tainaka? That's what I'm trying to prove here. If I can't take a hold of my life now, how do I face everyone else!?

I shouldn't fail. I mustn't fail. I can't fail. Not now.

Grasping my pen, I went through the questionnaire and started penning in a blitz. Rather than writing equations and whatnot, I explained however I interpreted the question and what I would've done had I known which equations to use. I may not know the uses of most of those damn equations, but I'm not giving up without a fight! I carried on like this for the next fifteen minutes and was able to 'answer' everything. Integrated Science was finished, but a strange fear had subtly carved a hole in my heart.

My hand was sore from writing as I headed out of the classroom, and I knew I did everything I could. However, I knew that everyone would've been disappointed at me. That 'A' was so close, yet so far. I let that chance slip away, and was probably able to manage a C+ at best thanks to some hasty countermeasures, but it was overall a disappointing performance. Francis and Kouji paid close attention to Integrated Science when we studied together… how can I tell them that our effort has gone to waste? How can I tell Ritsu that I've let father down yet again… If a C is all I'm gonna get from all this, then I might as well drop the make-up and get this year over with… I didn't want to humiliate myself any further. Putting my hands in my pockets, I stepped out of the school building and headed home.

What was happening to me? It wasn't always like this… Many years ago, my grades were pretty good, I remembered having a lot of friends… and most importantly, my parents loved me the way I am. Somehow, someday, all of that drifted away. My grades crumbled… my friends grew distant… and… my parents' expectations became unbearable. Melancholy had swept throughout my person and the depression made the harsh winter cold many times colder. In that cold, I was so disappointed in myself… and I felt terribly alone.

The wind picked up in the street, making the temperature drop even more. The cold pierced through my bones and my mind grew numb. I felt like I was going to die. No. I felt like was already dead. I didn't want to face everyone after what had happened today. I let them down… I'm a disappointment…

I closed my eyes and the world was covered in darkness. The cold enveloped me, slowly cradling me to sleep. I stood there on the sidewalk as I grew lightheaded. If I stayed like this any longer… I could die. I wanted to move but…

Suddenly, a voice called me from the void.

"Satoshi-kun?"

A familiar voice… I opened my eyes.

"Azusa-chan…"

It was her.

"Satoshi-kun, you don't look too well." She said, "You alright?"

"It's very cold…" I said, feeling the prickling frost all around me, "that's all…"

"Come, we shouldn't stay outside when it's this cold." she said grabbing my arm, "The mall's nearby. We can warm up in there."

Without another word, the two of us headed to the mall. For some strange reason, the weather was much colder than before. I expected a temperature of negative five degrees that afternoon, but this weather felt like negative twenty. My jacket simply wasn't enough to handle that cold. Looking at Azusa-chan, she too seemed quite cold. We had to hurry.

"Hurry inside you two," a security guard cried as the two of us approached the mall doors, "get in quick!"

He held open the door for us and the two of us rushed in. Before we knew it, warmth embraced us generously. It was a really nice feeling.

"Are you two alright?" the guard asked as we caught our breath

"We're fine sir," I said, "why are you asking?"

"There was a sudden cold snap you see," the guard explained, "the temperature dropped ten degrees or so. People were advised over the radio to stay indoors not too long ago till the snap passes.."

So that's why it was so cold…

"The snap's going to last for about an hour or so, so it would be best if the two of you stay here for now." The guard continued

"I see sir," Azusa-chan said, "that was what he and I were planning to do anyways."

"By the way," the guard added as he fished out a couple of coupons, "you might as well have something to eat while you're here. It must have been rough outside, so take it easy now."

The two of us then took one coupon each. "Thanks a lot Mr…"

"Narita," the guard introduced, "Hayato Narita. Mall cop."

Both of us gave the kind man a courteous nod and he lowered his hat in response. The man then got back to his patrols around the mall.

"What a nice guy…" I said looking at the coupon. It was a coupon for a Mike Donald's meal. Just looking at the coupon made my stomach grumble. We followed the guard's advice and headed over to the food court. The idea of a hot meal seemed really appetizing at the moment after all.

As we ate, memories of the exam I just wrote resurfaced on my mind. I sighed dejectedly, looking around aimlessly. Azusa-chan watched me with concern and knew something was going on.

"What's on your mind Satoshi-kun?" Azusa-chan asked worriedly, "You seem really out of it. You haven't even touched your food either... C'mon, tell me."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was just spacing out." I then picked up my burger and took a big chomp off it. I know she's a friend too, but I really didn't feel like talking about it right now.

"You're not answering me." She continued, noticing that I was avoiding her question.

"Do I really have to tell you?"

Her only response was a determined glare underlined with concern. I couldn't keep it from her any longer.

"Fine, I'll tell you." I said lowering my head dejectedly.

Facing the girl, I told her my story. I told her about how much I envied Ritsu and her band. I told her about how much I hated my father for scolding me, and how disappointed I was in my mother for not doing anything. Everyone was judging me for everything I do and I became afraid of them. I wanted to be better than Ritsu, Francis and Kouji… I wanted to impress my father and to comfort my mother… If not, I'd just be looked down upon.

Looking at Azusa-chan as I spoke, I could see that she wanted to say something, but no words came from her lips. Turning away from her, I continued my bleak story. I told her about the make-up exam and how badly I did on the very first one. That was my last chance to redeem myself, I told her, but I just crashed and burned. "I'm a disappointment."

"You know what Satoshi-kun," Azusa-chan said turning my head towards her again and making her eyes meet mine, "the more you think you're a disappointment, the more you become one."

I was left speechless as she held my face before hers. Before I could say anything else, she let go and smiled.

"Let me tell you something Satoshi-kun. I know how you feel. I really do. Before I joined Afterschool Tea Time, I felt really small and insignificant. I wanted to be a great guitarist so that I can play with a band someday. I knew that I had some talent, having played the electric guitar for quite a while already, but I was afraid of what the other band members would think of me. I was a shy person after all, and I was afraid of making mistakes. If I made mistakes, I felt like I couldn't forgive myself.

I avoided people and I was alone throughout most of middle school because of that. Even in my first few days of High School, I was like that. Looking back at it, it was awfully lonely, I tell you. Just because you graduate Middle School doesn't mean you can escape the problems you left behind. They stay with you until you do something about them.

My fears were holding me back… I couldn't do a thing. My life fell stagnant. I was standing on the same spot afraid to move forward. All that changed though when I joined your sister's band. They were looking for a second guitarist and were kind enough to let me try out. Truth be told, they were psyched and I joined them immediately. The point I'm trying to make is… the only thing holding me down was myself. That's why I was afraid. If I let that fear overwhelm me, I never would've been part of 'Afterschool Tea Time' and I don't know what would've happened to me."

"I didn't know about that side of you." I said thinking about what she had said

"Now you know." Azusa-chan said determinedly, "Don't let your fears get the better of you. Francis-san and Kouji-san, Ritsu and the girls and I… all of us ARE rooting for you, but we won't ever look down at you for something like that. We all know you're a good person. Grades won't change the way we see you… we all love you as friends and that's all that matters. Okay?"

"Yeah." I said scratching the back of my head, "I guess I was just being hard on myself."

"See?" Azusa-chan said happily, "So cheer up Satoshi-kun? You can do this!"

"Right." I replied clenching my fist, "Thanks."

"No prob." Azusa-chan said with a smile. She then reached into her bag and took out a flyer, "Before I forget though, take a look at this."

I took the flyer and read it out loud.

"Live house performance, featuring Love Crisis, PunkMatic*, Afterschool Tea Time and many more. When: December 20 (Friday). Where: Town Square. Entrance fee: 400 kinsu… 400 kinsu!?"

"We're giving some of the proceeds to help the earthquake victims in Haiti*." Azusa-chan explained, "It's for a good cause!"

"Ah, I see." I said reviewing the flyer, "I'd be happy to watch your show."

"Great!" Azusa-chan said, "You see… I was inspired to join 'Afterschool Tea Time' when they performed for our freshman orientation gathering. I just thought that we might be able to inspire you too."

The two of us smiled at each other then got on to finishing our meals. The cold snap finally passed and Azusa-chan and I parted ways. I headed home feeling a lot better. Azusa-chan's right. I can't let this get me down. Grades do not define a man… his actions do. If I give up, then I really will be a disappointment. That's why I must keep walking, moving forward without looking back.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Haiti* - The island nation of Haiti was devastated by a strong earthquake and many groups are making the effort of sending aid and help to the beleaguered people. Show them your support!

PunkMatic* - A punk band parodying Punk-o-Matic.


	8. Maybe There Is More To It Than This

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part I, Chapter 8**

**Satoshi's Classroom – Final Make-up Examination [ S ]**

**Prologue**

"Time's up! Pass your papers!" The administering teacher called, his tone more tired than angry. Who could blame him? It's been a tough week. I passed my paper, kicked back into my seat and gave a satisfied sigh. This was the last of the make-up exams, I told myself. I thought it would never end, but it was finally over.

I gathered my things, stuffed them into my bag erratically then headed out. Somehow, walking out of that testing room was an invigorating experience. The moment I got out of there, I felt really happy. It wasn't because I did well in the exams or anything… I wouldn't know till I got the results, and frankly, I didn't really care anymore. It wasn't because the school year was over, though I was looking forward to Christmas and New Year's Eve… It was something else… something closer to me… something that made my heart pulse; Freedom.

I paced through the corridors light-footedly in a bit of a drunken waltz (though there wasn't a bit of alcohol in my bloodstream), whistling a tune as I went and found myself in the entrance hall of my Middle School. I stood there, my bag hung over my shoulders, looking out the large frosted glass doors of the hall. Taking a deep breath, I smiled.

Behind those doors was a painting of the world outside. The ground was blanketed in white snow as always, but the skies were blue and the sun was up and about. Since November that year, the skies had always been cloudy; layer after layer of grey clouds that covered it. It was like a new artist's palette… empty… barren. For the past month, I haven't been able to see the sun and the colors of life were bleak. Looking at it this time around, the sun finally dominated the skies and shone on the world once again. On that previously empty palette, there was now bright and colorful picture; one that Kouji, Francis, Ritsu, Azusa-chan and everyone else helped me paint. I wouldn't have been able to paint such a great picture by myself.

In truth, I've been reluctant, relying on everyone for the most part of my life. Looking back, I could say that I wasn't the most responsible person. I was the type who would march out of bed without fixing it, eating breakfast without even bringing it to the sink at least and quite messy in general. Being the youngest in the family, I always had the idea that someone would do it for me… that someone would pick up after me. I couldn't take care of myself. I didn't grow.

I was holding on to my friends… I was clinging on to my sister… I have always been relying on their support. Ironically, it was only when my friends moved on that I finally understood that I had been standing on the same spot all those years.

"Take hold of your life," said Francis over the cellphone as he boarded his plane to Canada. I had trouble understanding what he had said then, but I realized that I had always been asking him, Kouji and everyone else to help direct my life… to help me paint that picture. It was my turn to hold it, my turn to paint. The brush was in my hand and it would be the strokes from my hand that would paint that palette. I hope I don't mess it up.

Pushing open the double doors of my middle school; I stepped out into that sunny and colorful picture. There and then, this seemingly normal action marked the end of my Middle School years and signaled that my High School life was about to begin. Freedom… it felt great. I breathed in the air happily, savoring the taste of freedom (whatever flavor it is – it tasted great!)

I pushed my hands into my coat pockets and headed home. Inside one of the pockets, my hand came across a small folded piece of paper. Curious, I pulled it out and unfolded it. It read,

"Live House Performance – Backstage Pass"

Oh right… this was the backstage pass Azusa-chan gave me to watch their show. That other day at the mall, she told me that I should watch their live house performance this coming Saturday. She was planning to offer me a ticket, but changed her mind as soon as I handed her the 400 kinsu entrance fee. She said she said that I didn't have to pay and that I could have the ticket for free. Despite Azusa-chan's kindness, mooching a 400 kinsu ticket from anyone didn't sit well with me. I declined and insisted on paying the money. It was a negotiation-lockdown, and we sat staring awkwardly at each other for at least two minutes or so; a staring-contest perchance? Hardly so; we both blinked every so often….

Azusa-chan however was determined not to lose. Rather than give me a ticket then, she gave me this backstage pass instead. It was a deal that satisfied both parties; Azusa-chan would get me to go and I didn't have to pay. Backstage passes are technically free after all, so I could roll with that.

Raising the pass up into the air, I looked at it with vague intrigue. She told me that watching my sister's band perform gave her a new perspective on life… If that was the case, then I'm really looking forward to seeing that show.

* * *

**Tainaka Residence**

"Satoshi-kun," Ritsu greeted curiously politely, "welcome home."

"Ritsu?" I said as I took off my shoes in the anteroom, "Oh, thanks."

"Would you like me to make some tea for you Satoshi-kun?" she said continuing that subtly devious tone, "It's awful cold outside, so I thought you might want something to warm you up"

"Sure…" I mumbled, starting to suspect some sort of motive

Ritsu happily led me into the kitchen where she pulled me a seat and poured me some tea. I took the teacup and took a sip, relieved as the tea slowly warmed up my body. Ritsu then poured herself a cup and sat beside me on our dining table.

"This is good tea Ritsu." I complemented, taking another sip

"Thanks." She said taking a sip herself

"So what's the catch?" I asked, turning to her with a raised brow.

"Catch?" Ritsu said half-panicking, "W… what catch?"

"You can't hide it from me Ritsu!" I declared, "I know you want something from me."

"Argh, I've been found out." Ritsu grunted, then the two of us laughed heartily. "Fine. You see Satoshi-kun, my band has a live performance downtown this Saturday and I was wondering if…"

"I wanted to buy a ticket for 400 kinsu?" I asked, beating her to the punch.

"Uhm… yeah." She said grinning, "You want to go don't you?"

"I do." I said playing along but showing her the backstage pass Azusa-chan gave me, "I really want to watch the show."

"A backstage pass!" Ritsu gasped, "How did you…?"

"Azusa-chan gave me one." I said sticking out my tongue, "I tried paying her for a ticket, but she refused and gave me this instead."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah…" I said confidently, "so I'm sorry Ritsu, you're not gonna suck 400 kinsu off me."

"Hey…" Ritsu glared, taking out another backstage pass "I was gonna give you a backstage pass too you know!"

"Really?"

"Mhm… meanie."

"So you did that just to play around with me?"

"Pretty much." Ritsu chuckled, "It was funny though… and I was gonna give you a pass anyways so we're even."

"Yeah."

"Wait a sec." Ritsu said in thought, "You got that pass from Azusa? When did you meet up??"

"This Friday. I… uh… ran into her at the mall."

"Hmm… is that so?" Ritsu said, staring at me with intrigued, "you've been getting really close to Azusa recently, I noticed."

"Well, we're friends." I said coolly in response, "It's only natural that we get closer."

"Is that so?" Ritsu said with a smile, "Good for you then."

At that moment, my father stepped into the kitchen and the mood suddenly dampened.

"How were the exams Satoshi-kun?" he asked bordering on concern and insult

"Okay I guess…" I said timidly

"Well, you'd better have done better in these exams…"

"I get it, I get it…" I said tiredly, raising my arms as if surrendering, "so please stop bugging me till we get the results okay?"

"Fine…" father said irritably, glancing at me for a moment then heading for the master's bedroom.

"Darn him…" I grumbled, holding on to the cup of tea tightly

"Satoshi-kun…" Ritsu said genuinely concerned

"If only he would take me more seriously…" I said gulping down the rest of my tea, "I'd really appreciate it…"

"Satoshi-kun," Ritsu said again, "I don't think…"

"But it's okay…" I said cutting her off, "I did my best in those exams. That'll show him…"

Ritsu didn't respond. Just then, I realized I was talking rather harshly. It was a topic that wasn't easy to talk about… or at least… it was something we didn't want to talk about. Shaking my head, I stared into the teacup and said,

"Thanks for the tea again though. It was really good."

"I'm glad you liked it." She said with a weak smile. Changing the topic cleared up the awkwardness somewhat, but that anger I felt for my dad still lingered on. Ritsu seemed to know this too, but she hid it with that fragile smile. I knew I was worrying her… I knew she was concerned… but all I could do was watch that weak, weak smile. Handing her my teacup, I tried to speak again, but Ritsu patted my head.

"Whatever dad thinks, I'll be here to help you out okay?"

"I know." I said getting off my seat and heading off to my room, "Thanks."

Entering the room, I took off my coat and emptied its pockets onto my desk. Small coins and other things fell quickly and rattled against the table. Azusa-chan's backstage pass however floated down slowly, fluttering through the air. I caught it midair and sighed.

"Life-changing huh?" I said to myself; watching the sun set in the distance, pass in hand. "I guess… I do want my life to change."

* * *

**Downtown Concert Hall - Six day later**

"Uwah~! It's Satoshi-kun!" cried Yui-senpai as she pinched my cheeks excitedly, "You came to watch!"

"I did! I did!" I cried back, struggling to get her fingers off my face, "So please… cut it out!"

"Yui…" Ritsu said, "we just got here and you're already harassing my brother. That's no way to treat your fans!"

"And besides," Mio-senpai reminded, forcing Yui-senpai to release her facial vice-grip pinch "our turn to practice on the stage is coming up. We don't have time for this chitchat… which reminds me… why are you late AGAIN Ritsu?"

"It's really cold outside…" The two of us explained, shivering in unison

"My…" Tsumugi-senpai said watching us fondly, "you two really are brother and sister. I see the resemblance!"

"I know right!?" Yui-senpai added cheerfully, trying to pinch my cheek and Ritsu's "Ka – wa – ii~, fu – ta – rii~!"

Jeez… this is too much. First, the pinching, then the out-of-tune Japanese chanting… What am I… some sort of plaything!? The two of us caught her hands midway, forcing her to give up her pinch attack. Clearly, she was dissatisfied.

"So can we get this practice started or what!?" Mio-senpai asked impatiently, "We don't have all day!"

"Yes ma'am..." Ritsu said, "Are our instruments already there?"

"I think so, yeah…" Mio said peeking out to the stage, "the drums are there, the keyboard… my bass… Azusa's guitar… Yui's… wait! Yui, where's your guitar!?"

"Gui-tah!?" Yui-senpai gasped, calling her guitar by its nickname, "Where did you go Gui-tah!?"

"It's in the break-room," Azusa-chan said, "you can't miss it."

"Oh, thanks Azu-nyan!" Yui-senpai said locking her in a tight embrace, "I forgot to bring Gui-tah here!"

"We'll just wait for you on the stage then Yui." Ritsu said, leading everyone else onto the stage

"Okey-dokey!" Yui-senpai replied. Just then, I realized; what the heck am I going to do here backstage? This was my first time going to the downtown concert hall… I don't know the way to the audience area. It was a really huge place too, so there was a good chance I could get lost. I tried to look for Ritsu and the rest but that had already disappeared. Yui-senpai however stood there watching me with a smile.

"You're still here Satoshi-kun?" she said ruffling my hair, "What's going on?"

"I uh… erm…" I mumbled, "don't know the way to the audience area…"

"Oh, I see." Yui-senpai said rubbing her chin, "It's way down the hall from here… I think…"

"You don't know either, don't you?" I inquired with a glare

"Ehehe," she said scratching her head, "I guess I forgot, sorry. I'm really bad with directions."

What a surprise…

"Anyways." I reminded, "Aren't you supposed to be getting your guitar?"

"Oh yeah!" Yui-senpai said, "That's what I was supposed to be doing. Kinda got lost in thought for a while, you see."

No wonder…

"And if I remember correctly," she added, "the entrance to the audience area should be somewhere near the break room… that's right!"

Now she remembers…

"Is that so?" I said looking around, "But where would the break room be then?"

"Follow me!" she said cheerfully, "Since we're heading in the same direction, we might as well go together."

"Ah… uhm… sure." I said hesitantly, wondering if going around this huge concert hall with clumsy Yui-senpai as my guide was a good idea. Not wasting another moment, the two of us went forth to fetch Yui-senpai's beloved Gui-tah.

Turning a corner, a chill ran down my spine as a mélange of bands filled the concert hall's backstage; classy pop groups, hardcore metal bands, classical rock n' rollas, bands from other prefectures, bands from other countries and a lot more.

It was an overwhelming experience to walk through a hallway filled with such people, but Yui-senpai pranced through them without a care. She seemed to be acquainted with many of the people there too. She greeted the pop groups with all sorts of handshakes; gesturing 'rock-out' to the metal dudes who returned the gesture vigorously and air-guitaring with the rockers as she passed by. She even chatted with the internationals in fluent Korean, Chinese, Tagalog and English… what the heck? Aren't we supposed to be hurrying up here!?

"Yui-senpai… I think we should hurry up."

"It's okay." Yui-senpai replied, "Our practice won't start for ten minutes or more. I checked our schedule. Besides, I wanted to show you something."

Yui-senpai, show me something? Was she going to attack me with her pincers again? Knowing her, a surprise attack might be in order… The cheerful words that came out of her mouth however came as a total surprise.

"You know Satoshi-kun, you're very lucky to have an older sister."

"Ritsu?" I asked shocked

"Of course! Who else am I talking about."

"Hmm…"

"I'm not sure if Azu-nyan already told you, but I have a younger sister."

"She actually told me about her. Ui-san, if I'm right."

"Right! Though she's my younger sister, she's much more mature than me and she's the one who does things around the house; the cooking, the cleaning, everything!"

"Really?" I asked surprised. In reality, I thought that Ui-san would be as airheaded and clumsy as Yui-senpai. That would make one hell of a household, in every sense of the word…

"Yup." Yui-senpai nodded happily, "She takes really good care of me, but it's still different from having an elder sibling. An elder sibling is someone you can turn to when you have problems, someone to take care of you when you're sick… someone to look up to."

"I see…"

"That's why I joined 'Afterschool Tea Time', actually. It's my way to thank my little sister for everything she's done for me… Everyone in this room here, you see, is chasing a dream; music. Music is the thing that brings all these people together, and music is what makes us grow. I'm chasing down this dream so that I can grow… into someone my little sister can look up to. So I can be a good elder sister to her."

"Is that so…"

"My sister has been a bright light who helped me grow, I hope to return the favor. You know what I mean?"

"I guess I do… that's something I want to do too actually. I want to grow."

"Really?" Yui-senpai asked, "That makes two of us then! I'm sure Ritsu loves having you as his little brother."

Remembering what happened in the kitchen six days ago though, I doubted whether or not that was true. Somehow, I felt more like a burden to her than a light. As I pondered on that thought, the two of us finally found the guitar case lying against the walls of the break-room.

"Well, it was nice talking to you Satoshi-kun but I have to go now." she said slinging the case strap over her shoulder, "The audience area is just through those double doors. I hope you enjoy the show!"

Dazed by our unusually cohesive talk, I waved back and headed over to the audience area. I took a seat there and thought about what Yui-senpai had just told me as I waited. Indeed, I was lucky to have Ritsu as my older sister. She's always been there for me; in that performance in Francis' garage, when she comforted me after dad lashed out at me, when she tried to invite me to watch them with a cup of tea… I've always looked up to her. That much is true. However, I sometimes wonder if I'm just a burden to her… I want to be a light in her world too, not a void. I want to shine brightly… brighter than the rising sun. The only question was how…

As I was thinking about this, the curtains of the concert hall opened and there stood my sister's band ready to play. Azusa-chan looked out into the audience and waved to me when she saw me for a bit as she picked up her guitar. Yui-senpai then stepped forward towards the microphone to introduce the band.

"Hey there! I'm Yui Hirasawa and here are my band-mates Mio Akiyama on the Bass, Ritsu Tainaka on the Drums, Tsumugi Kotobuki on the keyboard, Azu-nyan…. Uhm… I mean Azusa Nakano on the second guitar and me as the lead guitar. Oh! And this here's my guitar Gui-tah! We're Afterschool Tea Time and we hope to put up a good show tonight!"

A vigorous round of applause and cheer followed and the band prepared to play.

"This here's our first song for the night – My Love is a Stapler! Usually, it's either Mio or I who sings this but Azusa here said she wanted to sing it tonight."

Azusa-chan's going to do the vocals!? I thought…

"Well then, here goes!"

* * *

**My Love is a Stapler/Watashi no Koi wa hocchikisu [ A – Azusa Nakano ]**

Disclaimer: This is an altered version of the original song. The following lyrics were written to follow the rhythm of My Love is A Stapler, but the lyrics here are originally made by me.

* * *

_I wonder why_

_This worrisome night_

_I'm writing down_

_These feelings that I have hidden inside_

_On these sheets I'll write_

_Do you think that I_

_Am just wasting my time_

_Oh! These papers here begin to stack_

_I don't want to go back_

……

_**Bridge 1:**_

_I just really want to know_

_Why I need you so_

_But I still want to leave_

_Leave the world_

_And hide these sheets away_

………

_**Chorus:**_

_So, I'll staple these sheets in the midst of my heart_

_Cause, I don't want you to see them, well, at least not now._

_All I want is to just be free_

_And see the world at night._

_I know that someday it'll be_

_A magnificent sight_

_When it doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right_

_Lets staple these feelings someday_

_It'll be alright_

_I'm still in love with you._

…_.._

_Here we are again_

_The feelings just won't let me settle down_

_I really really want to run away_

_Cause my heart starts to ache_

_I just want to know_

_If there's something waiting there somewhere_

_Tell me am I waiting for it in vain?_

_Were these papers just a waste?_

……………

_**Bridge 2:**_

_I just really want to know_

_Why I need you so_

_But I still want to leave_

_Take my life_

_I want to grow._

………

_**Chorus:**_

_So, I'll staple these sheets in the midst of my heart_

_Cause, I don't want you to see them, well, at least not now._

_All I want is to just be free_

_And see the world at night._

_I know that someday it'll be_

_A magnificent sight_

_When it doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right_

_Lets staple these feelings someday_

_It'll be alright_

_I'm still in love with you._

…_.._

_Oh tell me, tell me my dear_

_Please, I want to know_

_As my heart is slowly covered in snow_

_Do you think these staples can hold_

_Our hearts in tow?_

_I know that someday it'll be_

_A magnificent sight_

_When you don't have to prove it and there's no need to fight_

_Let's staple these feelings someday_

_It'll be alright._

_I'm still in love with you._

* * *

Azusa-chan faced me as those last few words escaped her lips, a wide smile following that. Accompanied by the music, our eyes met for a moment and I couldn't help but smile as well. Yui-senpai and Ritsu too wore smiles on their faces as the spotlights shone in their eyes. Somehow, I felt like they really prepared that song for me… the song spoke to me and it's words filled my heart with a strange feeling… a longing to live life. It was as if I had finally picked up the brush and drawn the first stroke on that canvass. Gosh, I'm even starting to think of making lyrics of my own. Getting back to the performance though, Ritsu raised her drumsticks, leading the band into their second song for the night and their performance continued.

Into their third song, the halls were rocking. The crowd was really getting into it and everyone was on their feet. I'm not really that much of a party person, but in the heat of the moment, I just dropped it and joined in with the rest; chanting the words along with the band. Once the song ended though, I happened to catch a familiar face in the corner of my eye. It was a beautiful girl, noticeably well dressed and cheering for the band like everyone else … could it be…

"Ami-chan?"

"Satoshi-kun!?" she said somewhat surprised, "You're here too? Oh right… Tainaka-san's your sister."

"What a coincidence. I didn't think I'd run into you here!"

"Well, a model deserves a break every so often. I felt like coming over to watch a show at the downtown hall, so here I am. Afterschool Tea Time was performing too, and besides, I wanted to do my part for Haiti, so yeah."

"I see… well then…"

"Ami?" another person said, "Who are you talking to?"

"Ah, Yuusaku." She said turning around, "He's an acquaintance."

Yuusaku… a guy? Is that so…

"Oh hello there," a bespectacled, kind-looking young man said coming towards me, "I'm Yuusaku Kitamura, a friend of Ami's."

"Satoshi Tainaka," I replied, "I'm…"

"Tainka the drummer's little brother." Yuusaku said cheerfully

Is that what everyone knows me by!?

"Ami-chan's told me a lot about you." He continued, "She said you fended off one of her stalkers at the mall a few days ago."

Oh right; that sicko bastard who took pictures of Ami when she wasn't looking… what a lowlife.

"I really appreciated that Satoshi-kun," Ami said with a smile, "You were really brave."

"Th… thanks." I said blushing a bit

"That's it for us tonight!" Yui-senpai then said on the microphone, "I hope you enjoyed our songs!"

With that, the concert hall exploded with applause and cheer. My sister's band bowed off and the next band took their place.

"So, I guess Yuusaku and I will be going now." Ami-chan said checking her watch, "We only came here to see Afterschool after all."

"Yeah, it was nice to meet you Satoshi-kun," Yuusaku said shaking my hand, "Thanks again for helping Ami-chan out back there."

"No problem."

"See you then!" Ami-chan said as she and Yuusaku headed off. I waved goodbye and the two of them disappeared into the crowd.

"Maybe we'll see each other again someday," she said on that day on the mall. I guess it came true. Nice. Sadly, it seems she already has a boyfriend. That Yuusaku seems like a good guy and she seemed happy around him too so it's all good. Well… it's not that I was thinking of anything. I already have Azusa-chan after all… but we're not like that either! Arghhhh!! Never mind! However, it was nice to see her again and that she was doing fine. Sighing to compose myself, I headed backstage to meet up with everyone else.

"Satoshi-kun!" Azusa-chan said as she embraced me, "Sorry I couldn't talk to you earlier, I was busy with setting up and all. I'm so glad you came over!"

"It was a great show Azusa-chan!" I praised, "I especially liked the first song."

"We performed that song for you, you know!" Ritsu said

"I kinda felt like you did." I said with a smile, "Thanks."

"So, was it a life changing show Satoshi-kun?" Tsumugi-senpai asked cheerfully… wait, how does she know about this!? Turning to Azusa-chan, she looked away and shrugged. Darn.

"Well… erm… I really liked it." I said somewhat honestly, "I think I might have been inspired to start writing song lyrics."

"Great!" Tsumugi-senpai replied, "We're glad we were able to inspire you."

"Writing song lyrics is a nice way to spend your free time." Mio-senpai said, "I'm the lyricist of this band and I must say I enjoy writing lyrics. I'm sure you'll enjoy it too!"

"Thanks." I said rubbing my chin, "I might start sometime soon when I have the time."

"So… want to go out and get something to eat?" Yui-senpai suggested, her stomach grumbles echoing backstage

"Why not," Ritsu said cheerfully, "we had a great show after all, we might as well celebrate!"

"I agree," Azusa-chan said, "but don't forget to bring Gui-tah this time Yui-san, it'll be a hassle if…"

"Ah! Gui-tah!" Yui-senpai cried in shock, "I left him on the stage! Ungh~"

Just then, one of the members of the band about to perform came to us and said,

"You guys left this guitar here…"

"Gui-tah!' Yui-senpai cried as she took the guitar from the man and embracing it, "Gui-tah… I'll never leave you again!"

"Take care then." The man said as he scuffled back to the stage

"Yui…" Mio-senpai scolded, "that's the second time today…"

"Third actually,' Yui-senpai said still embracing her beloved Gui-tah, "I almost forgot him when I left home today. Ui-san reminded me too!"

"Clumsy as always," Ritsu said, "anyways, let's go!"

The six of us then headed off to the mall to grab a bite to eat. As we walked, the skies were dark blue in the bright moonlight and traces of clouds loomed in the horizon. My breath fogged up before me as our boots sank into the thick snow and it seemed like yet another normal winter night. However, I was a different person from the one I was two weeks ago. Somehow, somewhere deep inside me, I feel like a wheel of some sort had started turning. I had started moving forward, yet I only barely noticed it. Slowly buy surely… that's how it moved, but it was moving forward. I didn't want to stop. No matter the cost, I won't stop moving forward. Not until I finally shimmers brightly like a star.

**To Be Continued**


	9. Part I Finale, I Am Not Needed Here

**Reaching for the Stars  
Part I, Chapter 9 – Finale**

**Tainaka Residence [ S ]**

December 24, 2014, the day of Christmas Eve. Pockets of snow painted the sidewalks in powdery white and covered patches of earth that would become brown of green in the springtime. The sun peeked from behind lines of white clouds rolling through the horizon of pale blue, shooting rays of brightness to pierce the blandness that is winter.

I watched this scene from the comfort of my bed, looking out the bedroom window as if it were a picture on the wall. I had just woken up a few minutes ago, the ray of light caressing a bit of warmth against my cheek. The sunlight was so bright and warm that it seemed to prod me to spring up from my bed and come downstairs for breakfast. Sorry sun… that won't be working this time. Pulling the bed sheet over my face, I turned around and tried to drift back to sleep.

Just then, I picked up a faint, faint sound. It was a silent one, barely audible, but I heard it. It was the sound of the doorknob turning slowly, followed by the weak creaking sound of my bedroom door being carefully opened. An intrusion, huh. There's only one person in this household mischievous enough to try sneaking into my room that early in the morning… Ritsu. She's done this before, catching me by surprise most of the time unless I was really burned out. These pranks of hers gave her much enjoyment… at my expense of course and I wanted to get back at her at least once. Rather than apprehending her off the bat, I chose to play along. She wanted to surprise me, so I planned to surprise her instead. I was going to enjoy this.

Careful measured steps got louder and louder as their source seemed to approach my bedside. The sound of rubber slippers against the hardwood floors was distinct and their squeakiness was unmistakable. Judging by the direction I assumed she was moving in, she must be trying to tickle me; a common practice of hers in those little pranks of hers. She expects me to be asleep, so what would she think when I jump out at her and beat her to the punch! Yes, that would be sweet.

Resting on one elbow, I prepared to pounce. I was going to make the hunter become the hunted. The steps grew closer and closer till she seemed to be just next to the nightstand. This was my chance. Springing up from the sheets, I pushed the bed sheet off me with fingers raised, ready to tickle, and a face that would've scared the crap out of her. The only thing I saw in front of me though was a pair of rubber slippers thrown to the floor; Ritsu was nowhere to be found. A feint!? That must mean…

"OHAYOOOOO!!!~*"

From behind, eight fingers struck at my ribs and uncontrollable laughter ensued. I didn't want to laugh, but I… I… couldn't help it!

"Thought you could give me a dose of my own medicine huh?" Ritsu challenged, her fingers unleashing unforgiving salvos of tickles on my undefended sides, "Well, have some more of this!"

"S… stop it Ritsu!" I cried in between hysterical laughter, escaping her clutches to catch my breath, "What do you want!?"

"It's time for breakfast, dummy!" She replied, sticking out her tongue, "So get off your lazy ass and let's go!"

"Why are you waking me up so early?" I groaned, managing to go out of range of her tickle strikes. Turning to my nightstand clock though, I saw that it wasn't as early as it seemed. The damn thing read 10:30AM! Argh… in winter, it's really hard to determine whether or not it's still early. The skies are usually the same throughout the day and the sun barely moves at all. Yawning, I scratched my head and sat upright.

"Maybe you should take a bath too," Ritsu suggested, "your hair is messed up dude."

"Eh?" I asked confused, "Are we going somewhere?"

Customarily, I took my baths in the evenings to save myself the trouble of bathing in the morning unless the family was going on a trip wherein I had to look my best. Oftentimes, it was such a hassle for me to step through jets of overly hot or overly cold water when I was still half-asleep so I chose to bathe in the evenings when I'm fully capable of measuring the temperature.

"Nope." Ritsu said shaking her head, "It's just that I have some visitors coming over for the Christmas party."

"Oh…" I said, my face warming up a bit, "does that mean she's…"

"That's right." Ritsu prodded, "She'll be here too, so hurry up."

"Yes ma'am!" I cried, mustering up some energy and rushing to the bathroom. Ritsu chuckled at my sudden burst of energy, but smiled. Once I was gone, she sighed and looked around my room for a while.

"He's a disorganized boy," Ritsu thought, noting the messiness of the room, "he can't even fix his own bed after waking up, but…"

Turning to the bedroom door though, she felt as if something was changing. I'm different from the Satoshi I was over a month ago, she thought. In many ways that was true. She didn't know whether it was a good thing or bad, but she knew I was headed somewhere. That was enough for her.

"Until then," she said, fixing up the bed sheet, "I'll be there for him, and guide him in the right direction."

* * *

**After Brunch**

That was a good brunch I thought to myself, rubbing my stomach as I reclined on one of the dining chairs in the kitchen. It was an American brunch; sunny-side up eggs, potatoes and some Canadian bacon Francis' family had sent us before they left. I ate quickly, downing spoonfuls of food like there was no tomorrow as Ritsu and I were locked in a silent dispute about who would get the last strip of bacon. Tall glasses of orange juice accompanied our breakfast to prevent us from getting stopped by hiccups, making the competition fierce.

As a surprise though, neither of us got to the last strip of bacon. Instead, it was our mom who ended up taking the last strip. She had slyly joined in on the contest while Ritsu and I were too busy glaring at each other. The three of us laughed at the predicament and sighed contently. Father however stayed silent as all this was going on; clearly, he wasn't amused.

I knew all too well what was going on through his mind; the grades. It's been two weeks since the make-up exams and there has been no word on the grades I got. I tried my best to remain apathetic to the grades I got, but I had a bad feeling about dad's reaction to another low grade. Shrugging, I carried on finishing the rest of the food on my plate then bringing the plate to the sink. Ritsu and I then left for the living room where we were going to wait for her friends to arrive, leaving dad alone with mom.

Recently, my family has been getting closer and the crevices that had formed in the years of decline were slowly being bridged. Mom and I were never really close, but I could see her efforts in trying to bring me and Ritsu closer to her which I appreciate very much. Despite these efforts, father has been cold to my mom and I for as long as I could remember. Still… I hope that things would be alright.

Ritsu and I entered the living room and I quickly got on to lie down on one of the sofas as Ritsu set up the Playstation 360* gaming console in front of the TV. From where I lay, I looked up to the ceiling and asked,

"Ritsu, do you think dad's being a little cold on mom recently?"

"Tell you the truth…" Ritsu said a little sadly, "I think he has been… would you happen to know why Satoshi-kun?"

"I don't know…" I apologized, "but… could it be about me, you think?"

"Satoshi-kun…" Ritsu said, not liking what I just said, "don't think that way. It's probably just a couple's quarrel… everyone has their conflicts you know."

"I hope so." I sighed, "It's just that, even though I don't show it, I love this family of mine. I don't want it to fall apart, no matter what. I'd do anything to keep it together."

"That's good." Ritsu said hooking up the console to the TV, "So Satoshi-kun, would you mind getting the RockBand Hero* instruments from my room?"

"Rockband Hero?" I said sitting upright, "You're setting that game up?"

"Yeah, so hurry up!" Ritsu suggested, "If we do it quickly, we could have a quick game before they arrive."

"A challenge huh?" I said getting up on my feet with a grin, "I accept your challenge dear sister. Prepare to get owned!"

"Remember those words dear brother…" she said grinning back, "cause you're gonna find yourself in the dumpster when I'm through with you!"

"You're on!" I said, marching upstairs to fetch the instrument controllers. Since it was going to be a showdown, Ritsu and I would have to play at the same time meaning only one of us would be able to use the drums… my second strongest suit in that game would be singing, but I felt a lot more comfortable holding drumsticks instead of a microphone.

Just as I pondered this predicament as I traversed the staircase though, the doorbell rang. Were they here already? Shaking my head, I carried on to my sisters room and left with the controllers in tow; a bass, a guitar, a drum set and a microphone. Heading downstairs with the controllers, I saw Ritsu opening the front door behind which stood the other four members of Afterschool Tea Time. Now I have an excuse to back down from the challenge. Man, was I glad to see them!

"Sorry to intrude!" The four of them said as they walked into the anteroom and took off their snow-covered shoes. Wearing the slippers mom had prepared for them nearby, they entered the house and went straight to the living room. I lagged a little behind, carrying all those controllers but eventually joined them in the living room where the Playstation 360 was already set up.

"Satoshi-kun!" Yui-senpai greeted with a wave, "Why are you here?"

Umm… I live here?

"It's Ritsu's house you dummy." Mio-senpai reminded, "Of course Satoshi's gonna be here!"

Thanks for pointing out the obvious Mio-senpai. Man… can't Yui-senpai get anything straight?

"Oh right…" Yui-senpai said in realization, "Ahehehe, sorry about that."

"Satoshi-kun." Azusa-chan then said as I dropped off the controllers near the console, "Hi…"

"Hey Azusa-chan." I greeted back a little awkwardly, "W… what's up?"

"Why are you all dressed up?" Azusa-chan said, noting that I was quite dressed up, "You also fixed your hair up…"

Argh! She noticed. Well… it couldn't be helped. I got too worked up when Ritsu told me Azusa-chan was coming, I guess. What am I going to do now!? Trembling on the inside, I could barely breathe as she seemed to blush somewhat. Did I overdo it? The words that followed however caught my by surprise.

"I like it."

A pleasant surprise, that is.

"You think it's alright?" I said, trying to avoid her eyes, "I'm not really used to dressing up like this, and my hair's usually a mess and…"

"You look good like this Satoshi-kun!" Asuza-chan reassured, "You should try fixing it more often, you know."

"I'll try…" I said, laughing uncomfortably. I guess that means I'll start actually using shampoo regularly when I take a bath. Changing routine on a girl's whim like this, how pathetic am I? Seeing myself in the mirror, I seemed different from what I usually looked like but I really did look better somewhat. Maybe she's right after all.

"Anyways, get over here you two" Ritsu interrupted, gesturing Azusa-chan and me to come closer, "we have a game to play."

"Eh?"

"You think I forgot about our little challenge Satoshi-kun?" Ritsu asked with devious eyes

For a moment, I was hoping she really did forget about it. I guess there was no escaping this challenge. For this contest, the people playing would be me, Azusa, Ritsu and Mio-senpai. That being said, Azusa automatically chose to play the guitar while Mio-senpai played the bass, leaving the debate of who got to play the drums to the two of us. The belligerents were Ritsu and I and the battle would be a coin toss; a decisive coin toss. Tsumugi-senpai would perform the toss and the winner would be able to choose who gets to play the drums. It would then be in my best interest to win it. Fate however, was not on my side.

"I win!" Ritsu cheered as Tsumugi-senpai showed us the tail end of the five-kinsu coin. I had chosen heads and Ritsu chose tails… darn it! Now I'm going to have to sing!

"I say…" Ritsu said with some thought as she held the coin victoriously, "that Satoshi-kun would play the drums."

Eh?

"I promised the girls I'd let them see you play the drums." Ritsu explained, "We never got around to arranging a full band session for that, but this was the next best thing."

"That's right!" Tsumugi-senpai said from her seat on one of the sofas, "We want to see you play Satoshi-kun!"

"Yeah!" Yui-senpai added energetically, "We were actually planning to sneak you into Sakura-gakou with a girl's uniform so we could have a jam session, but we couldn't do that in the end, ahehehe."

Oh… I remember that plan. I remember that all too well… Thank God I didn't have to go through that predicament.

Ritsu handed me the game drumsticks as she took the microphone. Ritsu, though not well known for her singing, is a decent singer to say the least. She pales in comparison to Yui-senpai and Mio-senpai of course, but she sings in tune and with the right tempo. The good tempo probably comes from her experience with percussion instruments. The drummer usually carries the beat of the song on his or her shoulder after all, so this comes as no surprise.

Yui-senpai, not wanting to be reduced to a mere member of the audience, was given the controller and was tasked to pick three songs for us to perform. The mere fact that it was Yui-senpai choosing the songs to be performed made me cringe. Covering the screen, she chose her three songs then hit the start button. A game of chance again… I hope I get some easy songs. One of the conditions that Ritsu placed when she let me drum though was that I would have to play on Extreme difficulty… damn her, so familiar songs would be great. The first two songs Yui-senpai chose however were way too familiar…

The first song she chose was Cagayake! GIRLS, which was their frontrunner song in the album they released earlier this year. It was a familiar song, but the tempo was really fast! Argh! I finished the song with 91% hits; a great achievement considering the difficulty and the speed of the damn song. It was a good song, don't get me wrong though. It was just hard to play… and way too girly for me to ever consider singing along to. The next song was Don't Say, the last track of the album. It was somewhat easier than the first one, but I still found myself rubbing my sore wrists after the song ended. Was she trying to sell their album to me perchance? After that troublesome encounter with their flagship songs, I doubt I'd buy a copy for myself. Besides, Ritsu already uploaded (against my will) the CD to my MP3 player.

The third song she chose however seemed to have come from a genuine purpose rather than advertisement. For the third song, Yui-senpai chose Fireflies by Owl City; the song I played in Francis' garage with Kouji when the two of them were still in town. Exactly why Yui-senpai chose this, or the motive she or the others had in letting me drum this song a second time, for them… I don't know. Nostalgia struck at me for a moment, remembering the times that we've spent and the things they've told me. Taking a deep breath through, I shook off the nostalgia and looked forward to the TV screen. Clutching the drumsticks, I prepared to play the song that had been on my mind for quite a long time already.

As the first few beats fell into place, I started to understand why. I felt it; I was moving forward.

* * *

"That was awesome Satoshi-kun!" Yui-senpai and Tsumugi-senpai cheered in demi-unison. The song had just finished and I ended with 100% accuracy. Wow… I did that? Confused, I rubbed my eyes to see if I was reading the screen correctly. Indeed, the score underneath my name was 100%. Damn. I did it!

"Satoshi-kun!" Ritsu said, putting her arm over my shoulder, "You're almost as good as your big sister here!"s

"Or even better." I suggested with menacing eyes

"Keep dreaming."

"Good job Satoshi-kun!" Azusa-chan congratulated as well, "You're as good as Ritsu said you were. We should hear you on real drums next time."

"Definitely." I reassured, "On a real drum set on a live concert… someday."

"I'll look forward to that." Azusa-chan said with a smile

Someday…

A few more tournaments took place into the night and I was able to take a well-deserved breather. A little later, we took a break from the gaming and proceeded to have Christmas dinner. Once again, the food had a North American motif; butter-basted turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy and an apple pie to top it all off. The food was devoured in an instant and it seemed as if a hurricane had passed by. Someone there was hungry…

After dinner, at around 10PM, Ritsu and the others returned to the living room. Satisfied by the hearty meal, they headed upstairs to Ritsu's room to hang out. Naturally, I had no intentions to partake in that chill sessions so I stayed in the kitchen and washed the dishes for a change. Thought I might get started with that at least, I thought. When I was finished, I was about to head up to my room when I heard a heated argument coming from the master's bedroom. Curious, I crept by the walls and tried to listen in. It was mom and dad.

* * *

"I don't like it when you're like that to him." Mom said to Dad, "You might be giving Satoshi-kun the wrong idea."

"But you're being too soft on him, dear." Dad countered, "He has to understand that he can't stay the way he is."

"What do you want to do then, huh!?" Mom shouted, "Do you want me to ignore him? Do you want me to be cold to him? Do you want us to throw him out the house or something!?"

"No, no." Dad replied, "That's not what I meant. He's moving up to High School next year for Christ's sake, he needs to learn to grow up! I'm disappointed in that runt!…"

Disappointment? Could it be that…

"I got that kid's grades in the mail just now you know!" Dad cried, "His integrated Science exam was B!"

"B?" Mom asked, surprised that dad was reacting that way, "That's a good mark, dear! It's three notches up from what he originally got!"

"But he could've done better…"

"He was doing his best dear!" Mom pleaded, "You have to understand his position!"

"If that's all he can come up with after all of those people helped him out, then his best isn't good enough!"

How could he say this… I've worked my ass off for the past two weeks preparing for those exams. The highest grade I ever got in Integrated Science was a B-… I freakin' broke a damn record here! But… but that was all he could say about it!? Not a shred of appreciation? My best wasn't good enough!? The worst part of it all… he was taking all this out on mom. Though I couldn't see her, I felt that she was on the verge of tears.

Muffled chuckles and laughter pulsed from the upstairs where Ritsu and her friends were enjoying themselves in stark contrast to what I was hearing too clearly. They were oblivious to the goings-on on the ground floor. Damn it… Listening to these two contradicting sounds made a severe contradiction in my heart. Was all of this… happening because of me?

Faint footsteps descending down the staircase echoed in the distance and Ritsu peeked into the hallway where I was. She was looking for me, it seemed, to get me to join them and the rest. I however couldn't bear enjoying myself while all this was going on… I didn't want to do that after hearing what I've just heard. She gestured me to come over, but I stood still on that spot by the bedroom door. I wasn't going anywhere, and the serious look on my face showed her that something was wrong.

"Satoshi-kun…" Ritsu said walking nearer to me, "why are you…"

"Shh!" I hushed, telling her to come closer and listen. Unsure what the heck I was talking about, she reluctantly joined me and took the other side of the door. Her eyes then bulged in realization.

"Satoshi-kun used to do well, and not just in school." Father explained, "He used to have good grades… he used to have a lot of friends. What happened to him then? Unlike Ritsu, he's…"

"Ritsu, Ritsu, Ritsu!" Mom cried, "It's always about her, it's it? Are you telling me she's your favorite child? You're making that obvious to Satoshi-kun! I love my two children and I share my love equally. You should learn to do the same or else…"

"But what if Ritsu IS my favorite child!?" Dad cried, "So far, Satoshi-kun hasn't shown me anything to be proud of! He hasn't…"

"Is that really what you think of me?" I interrupted, opening the bedroom door ever so slightly. The two of them were surprised by the intrusion, finding themselves unable to speak.

"If that's what you really thought of me…" I said clenching my fist angrily, "then you should've told me sooner!"

"Satoshi-kun…" Mom reasoned, "Your father and I were just…"

"I know what the two of you were talking about…" I growled, feeling my heart beat so fast that my breath could barely keep up, "I'm not wanted here."

"Satoshi-kun!" Ritsu said, laying a hand on my shoulder genuinely concerned, "That's not what they were…"

"I don't care what the hell they're talking about Ritsu!" I shouted, violently pushing the worried hand off my shoulder, "Isn't it clear yet!?"

"Satoshi!" Dad cried authoritatively, "Now listen to me young man…"

"NO!" I cried back at the top of my voice, "You lot, listen to ME!"

The heated argument had gone so loud that the people celebrating upstairs came rushing down to see what was going on. Maybe they wanted to intervene, but they just stood there in utter shock; Azusa-chan and Yui-senpai especially so.

"Do you like Ritsu better than me because she's going to make it big!?" I demanded from my father, "Is it because of their popular band!?"

"Hey…" Yui-senpai said trying to speak "we're not…"

"Wait…" I interrupted, realizing that I was dragging an innocent group into the argument, "It's not their fault… it's mine."

"No," Azusa-chan said, "Ritsu's been telling us about this problem for a while now, and maybe we do have a part in it…"

"No Azusa-chan." I said more melancholy than angry, "It's my fault. Like my dad said, my best wasn't good enough… I'm still immature. I've stayed on the same spot for years and I never grew. I've been afraid to step forward. Only now do I realize it…"

"What are you trying to say Satoshi-kun?" Ritsu asked worriedly, terrified about what I might do, "Are you…"

"I've been moving forward these past few weeks," I said lowering my head, "yet none of you even saw it. Maybe I wasn't moving fast enough… maybe the steps I were taking were too small. I want to grow… I want to show you that I've grown. That's why… that's why I've decided; I'm getting the hell out of here."

Without another word, I rushed upstairs with all my might and entered my room. I locked the door and stuffed in whatever I had of value into a knapsack; my cellphone, a charger, some money and a few rations of food. I didn't know how far I was going to go, but I wouldn't look back. I had to be prepared for this since I would be on my own. Not long afterwards, there were many loud bangs on the door.

"Satoshi-kun!" Ritsu cried, "Are you out of your mind! Open this door!"

I remember the last time I opened the door for her… she comforted me and was there for me. I appreciate everything you've done for me so far Ritsu, but I want to stand on my own two feet for once… that's why I'm doing this.

"Satoshi-kun!!" Father barked, "Open this door this instant young man! You're making a terrible mistake!"

You're the one who made a mistake dad. All these years… I've gone through a lot, but not once did you appreciate them. Not one bit. I'm going away from here… to a place where people will appreciate me for who I am. I'm not going back!

"Satoshi-kun!!!" Azusa-chan pleaded, "Why are you going away!? I… thought you loved me!"

And I do love you Azusa-chan… I just don't deserve you. I'm still a disappointment; an immature fool who can't stand up for himself. Argue with me all you want, but that's the truth. You deserve a better man Azusa-chan and I deserve worse than this. This is something I should've done a long time ago…

I looked around my bedroom one last time and found the drumsticks Francis had given me. I picked up the sticks and saw the engraving in the middle of the sticks. I'm taking hold of my life Francis… I know you'll hate me for doing this, but I'll grow. Just watch me. I slid the sticks into the bag and prepared to leave.

The banging grew louder, so I put on two jackets and slung on the knapsack. I opened the bedroom window and looked out to the night sky. Clouds covered the horizon… there wasn't a star in that sky. Just like my life, there were clouds that covered those shimmering stars. Winter skies were cloudy, I thought to myself, so on nights like these, no one could see those stars… no one appreciated them. I'll make those stars shine again… I'll do it with my own strength. I'll show them that I can reach for the stars.

Taking a deep breath, I crawled out of the window and dropped down into one of the bushes outside. From upstairs, I heard my bedroom door finally burst open followed by sighs of confusion. I didn't have much time left. I saw one of our old mountain bikes leaning against the wall of the garage so I took it and rode off into the night. Where the bike would take me, I didn't know. The only thing I did know… was that I was finally free.

* * *

**An Hour later**

"Huff, huff, huff, huff." I panted as I pedaled the old mountain bike as fast as my legs would allow me. I've been pedaling for the past hour and never stopped to look back. I've gone a long way from my house, but in which direction, I didn't know. In the heat of the moment, I didn't trouble myself with reading the street signs or finding out where I was going. I just moved forward as fast as I could. Before I knew it, I was out of the city and the urban structures that lined the road were replaced by long stretches of tall snow covered trees. I've gone a long way. My legs however grew tired and I decided to take a break. Pedaling off-road, I stopped by one of the more secluded parts of the forest and sat down for a rest.

I opened my knapsack to check on the things I'd been able to get in that scuffle; 2,327 kinsu in total and the food rations I had. The food rations consisted of three rice balls, a packet of melon bread, two cups of instant noodles and a chocolate bar. I had originally prepared these for late-night study sessions but they now served a more important purpose. This was all I had to live on for now... I had to make the most out of it. I opened up a rice ball packet and ate half of it to satisfy a slight hunger and to calm myself down a bit. Sitting down on the snow covered earth and leaning against the bark of a pine tree, I couldn't believe that I actually ran away from home. However, there was no turning back. No way in hell would I go back there. I was free and that was all there was to it. Just then, something in my pocket vibrated; my cellphone.

It was my father calling… I'm sure he wanted to have a good shout at me, so I didn't pick up. That cellphone was my one link to the past and the one means of communication I had. Also, the S.I.M. card could be used to track me down. Turning off the phone, I slid the S.I.M card out of the cellphone and looked at it carefully. It was a gold microchip that had some of my basic information stored inside. A symbol of my old self, I thought. In many ways, it was an effective symbol. There were indeed happy moments, shown by the gold, but that was only on the surface. Deep inside were other metals much less prestigious than the gold… it was empty in a sense. I was empty. With this newfound freedom, I'd fill that void up and be full.

Just then, in the distance, the sound of police sirens resounded in the night sky. Dad must've called the police to apprehend me. Without another thought, I broke the S.I.M. card and threw it away. I wouldn't need that old self anymore. I was starting anew. As soon as I shake off the police, I'll get a new S.I.M card to replace it… I'll get a new me. Gathering my things, I got back on the bike and went deeper into the forest.

I couldn't go back to the main streets anymore. Though I could pedal fairly fast, there's no way I could outrun police cruisers on this rickety old bike. Going to the more obscure parts of the forest was my only hope. I thought that going deeper into this unknown place, I'd lose the police. The police however were smart enough to send their 4-wheel drive patrol cars to come after me. Damn. I didn't have time to relax.

Pedaling faster and faster, it took me a while to realize that I was biking downhill. Since the bike was fairly flexible, I was able to distance myself from the police cars somewhat, prodding me to keep on going. If I keep going, I'll definitely…

Just then, to my utter surprise, I saw that I was heading straight for the edge of a cliff! Beyond the cliff was the river, half-frozen in the winter cold. I tried to brake the bike but I was going at such a fast pace that the bike's old brakes failed on me and I found myself flying off the bike and off the cliff! Shit! I closed my eyes, and in seconds, I found myself tumbling down the rocky cliff and rolling through the thick brush. I had managed to stop by the riverbank and was able to stand up.

I was dizzied by the fall and in pain because of all the scrapes and bruises I had along the way. Gritting my teeth, I sat down and watched as the bike crashed straight into a sheet of river ice and sank into the frigid block. Luckily, I had held on to my knapsack tightly enough to keep it from facing the same fate as the bike. This however, meant that I would no longer have a means of transportation.

Police sirens rang in the distance and I knew that they were going to close in on me soon. Then, this was followed by the sound of a train. Looking around me, I saw that I had landed somewhere near the railroad running below the cliff. A train was approaching in the distance and it seemed to be slowing down. It must be nearing a train station. Hearing the police sirens wail louder and louder, I was left with no choice. As the train passed by slowly, I jumped onto it and held on to one of the railings. I was able to climb onto the train and sneak into the cargo car. The door to the cargo bay had been left open, so I quickly snuck inside. I sat down beside a shipping container to tend to my wounds.

I made it… I'm free. Where this train would take me, I didn't know, but I was free. That's all that mattered for now.

* * *

_Freedom._

_Here is my first taste of freedom._

_So this is what it's like to be free._

_It's rather lonely, but I'll manage._

_With my problems far behind, I have nothing to fear._

_Leaving my past life behind, I have nothing to be ashamed of._

_I had lost everything, so I have nothing to lose._

_ Freedom is sweet..._

_But where will it take me, is still a question in the wind._

_I don't know._

_I don't care._

_I'll keep moving forward._

_ I'll move to a place where my efforts can be appreciated_

_No more harsh expectations like before_

_I'll move to a place where I can learn to stand on my own feet_

_No more relying on others like before_

_This was my life; I'll take hold of it._

_This was my painting; my own strokes will create it._

_I'll keep moving forward._

_I'll show them that I can reach for the stars._

_

* * *

_

**End of Part I**

* * *

**Epilogue [ O ]**

"Is this where he…" Mr. Tainaka said as he looked over the cliff by the river, "where my son…"

Full of remorse, the policeman could only nod weakly.

"Satoshi-kun…" Mr. Tainaka said regretfully, "what have I done… because of me, you died…"

A slight trail of blood led into the frigid riverbank and parts of the old mountain bike stuck out from a sheet of ice. From where they stood, it seemed as if Satoshi Tainaka had died. That was the initial police hypothesis, but they couldn't tell for sure until they find the body. They would have to wait for spring for the ice to melt, but it might be too late by then. The body would've drifted away in that time.

Gone without a trace, that's what Ritsu Tainaka thought was the state of her beloved brother. She refused to believe he was dead. Looking out to the scene of the 'crime', the evidence was overwhelming but Ritsu refused to believe it.

"He's still alive…" she told herself with saddened hope, "I know he's still alive. I'll find you Satoshi-kun. I swear."


	10. Part II, Prologue, Train Ride To Nowhere

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 1 – Prologue**

**Train's Container Bay**

Three days… three days I've been in riding the container bay at the very end of a passenger train headed for who knows where. A small window permeated the mundane steel frame of the container bay, giving me a glimpse of sunlight whenever the clouds parted; one of those rare delights these winter days. For three days, I've been stuck in that metallic prison moving at eighty kilometers per hour on average either northwards or southwards. The sun (or it's silhouette behind the clouds most of the time) was my only compass, telling me which was east and which was west. North and South however were irritatingly ambiguous. I didn't have a compass of my own and the North Star was nowhere to be found in the cloudy night skies. Didn't think I'd need one… well, I didn't think I'd leave either…

South or North? Forwards of backwards? Where was I headed? Those were the questions that filled my mind as I leaned against one of the shipping containers or as I paced around to the bay to calm myself down. I had just achieved freedom three days ago, but here I was wondering if I was doing the right thing… or where I would end up.

No. I made the right choice. I was free and that's all that mattered. The skies were foreboding and cold, but if I waited long enough, spring would arrive. The monotony of white covering the trees that dotted I saw in that small window would soon be replaced by the vibrant greenery and skies of marvelous blue. The sun would shine again and the stars would reveal their brilliance. This wild journey of mine was the first phase to a wonderful spring, to a happy life. It was a prelude to true freedom that I somehow felt awaited me. This was the last thing I had to endure… and hunger perhaps.

Checking my knapsack, I saw that I was still well provided with water. If ever a water bottle of mine ran out, I'd just fill it with clean snow (avoiding anything brown as much as possible since haven't gone that desperate) and I'd have a natural refill. Food however was a different issue entirely.

Out of the numerous food items I had brought with me, only half a rice ball, a quarter of the chocolate bar and the cups of instant noodles were left. Why didn't I touch the noodles? Well… plainly put, I didn't have any hot water on me. I've been tempted many times to sneak into one of the passenger cars to try and get some hot water but I decided not to. I was a stowaway after all… if they see me; this train ride would be over. If I didn't find some more food though, my escapade of freedom would come to an acidic and digestive halt.

Nibbling on the last quarter of the chocolate bar I had (the other quarters serving as my lunch a few hours ago) I wondered what I should do. Though it was exciting being a stowaway, I understood that I couldn't go on like this. I'd run out of food or get found out sooner or later and I'd have to leave anyways. Also… I wouldn't be able to stand living my entire life on a train. I'd be moving forward, but I'd be moving blindly… not knowing where the hell I was going. I'd be stuck on this tram forever, dictated by the curves of the railroad. That wasn't freedom. I didn't want that.

Gulping down the chocolate quarter bar, I decided to disembark the next time the train makes a stop at a station. The railroads were long and the station stops grew fewer everyday. I didn't want to be stuck on a moving train without any food left. If I went down, I'd be able to get myself a map and plan where I would be going next. As of now, I had no destination, but I'll worry about that later. Right now, I just had to wait.

Folding my arms, I sat down and took off my top jacket and spread it over me like a blanket. Then, I closed my eyes and eased myself to sleep.

In my slumber, images of the people I had left behind flashed before my eyes. The fuming face of my father in particular made me want to laugh. He had neglected me throughout half my life so it must not have mattered to him that I left. Seeing the face of my mom, Ritsu, Azusa-chan and the rest though… I could only hope for the best. I had made my decision and I shall stick by it; I'm never going back to that place. I had cast aside my old life and have taken up a new one; one I would build up myself with my own hands.

* * *

**A little later**

I woke up a good few hours later, feeling my stomach grumble and demanding yet another chunk of my already dwindling food supply. Sighing, I opened my back and ate half of the already half-eaten rice ball giving my stomach a bit of satisfaction. Satisfaction however wasn't the only thing I had felt as I sat there; I felt as if the train that had been going significantly fast seemed to be slowing down yet again. We were approaching a train station.

Looking out the window, I tried to make out where I probably was. I could have made it all the way to Tokyo for all I know, or Fukushima or wherever. Sadly, I was out of luck as it was nighttime and the only thing I could make out in the distance were distant street lights on what seemed to be a mountain highway… I'm definitely not in Tokyo then. Darn… if only the moon would shine through those thick clouds, I might be able to get an idea of how far I had gone… The train soon came to a halt and an announcement was made that the stop there would only be for a little over a minute. I quickly gathered my things and darted out of the container car then off the train itself.

Though it was an inanimate chain of objects, I waved the train goodbye as it slowly picked up speed then drove out into the night. It had brought me far away from where I had run away from after all and was the thing that had brought me to freedom. Looking around me though, I started to doubt whether or not leaving the train at this particular stop was such a good idea.

Rather than a train station, the stop I had landed myself in was more of a train platform. The only standing structure there was a roofed waiting area with a bathroom for men and women, a purified water fountain and food and drink vending machines. If the mere fact that this small shed had all the basic and essential amenities I could need then the thing to top it all of was that the vending machine gave out free hot water. That meant I would finally be able to sink my teeth into those instant noodles I'd been longing for since I got on that train; a victory indeed. Of course, this did not mean that this shed solved all of my needs. Though the vending machines sold a wide variation of snacks (sadly, a lot of the things I wanted to get were sold out…), I couldn't get hold of a map anywhere nearby. The name of the train platform was clearly written on a board by the shed but I wasn't familiar with the area so I didn't have a clue where I was.

Trying to make the most out of my misfortune, I bought three granola bars from the vending machine to refill my stocks and filled one of the cups of noodles with hot water to get it started. Taking a seat on a nearby bench, I looked out to the darkness as I slowly gobbled up my noodles.

The only thing I could see I could make out from where I stood, aside from the monotony of the highway lights was the light that seemed to come from a house. Other than that single house, I couldn't seem to make out any others. It must have been the only one around. Also, judging by the distinct smell of salt in the air and the faint sound of waves crashing against a shore, I must have been somewhere near the sea. Could that house be some sort of beach-side villa? Hopefully the people there would be willing to give me directions.

Once I was done with the noodles, I packed up and headed off to that light in the distance. Hopefully, I'll be able to find some help. Hey, I mean, if I'm gonna start my new life, I might as well know exactly where I am.

Gathering up my things and taking up some necessary provisions, I marched out into the darkness. Checking my wristwatch, I saw that it was around 4AM in the morning. True enough, the pitch darkness had slowly turned into a navy blue as the sun peeked in the horizon. The streetlights flickered on and off before finally fading away as dawn rolled over me. Slowly but surely, the light grew brighter and brighter and I started to see the silhouettes of the things around me; bushes and shrubs, trees and grass. As the sun finally reared its head and shone bright sunlight all around me, the rocks trails that dotted the area became clear and the sun sparkled in the distant ocean. It was beautiful!

However, no matter how beautiful the scenery was, it was quick to show me just how bad an idea it was to get off the train. Apparently, I had landed myself in a rural platform in the middle of nowhere and a narrow trail cutting deep into the woods was the only way out. Also, the mountain house I had thought was near when the sky was pitch black was a lot father out than I first thought. Damn, it was gonna be a long walk.

As I cursed my luck, the sound of a bus rolling by the station let me sigh in relief. Readying a few coins, I approached the bus. The bus stopped at a spot behind the shed and its doors sprung open as soon.

"Where to little man?" The driver asked

"Well… hey! I'm not little!" I growled

"You look like a fifteen-year old to me; no longer a boy but barely a man." The driver replied, watching me with keen interest.

"Whatever…" I moaned

"Anyways, let me ask you again." The driver asked, "Where to, little man?"

"Anywhere is fine." I replied, "This is a designated bus line right? I'll go wherever this bus goes…"

"You're running away from home, aren't you?" The driver asked

"Why does that concern you?" I asked irritated

"Because everyone who rides this bus here is my responsibility, I might as we." The bus driver reasoned. "Don't worry though, if you really want to push through with what you're doing, I won't stop you."

Without another word, I dropped a few coins into the fare box and boarded the bus. The bus driver smiled at me for a sec, but I didn't mind. Seeing that there were no other passengers that 'fine' morning, the bus doors closed and the bus darted down that narrow path.

"Since you don't know where you're going," the driver said over his shoulder, "I'm taking you to the nearby town."

"Hey! I don't…"

"No, no." The driver said, "I'm not gonna report you to authorities. This is your decision after all, so I have no right to interfere. I just thought that you might want to find a place to stay."

"Fine…" I murmured, wondering why this bus driver was so nosy. However, I did need a place to stay, so I guess I should be thankful. "Thanks by the way…"

"Don't mention it." The bus driver said, "I've helped out quite a number of tourists get around in these parts, so I'm used to helping people out. First time I've dealt with someone like you though."

I chose not to reply. Instead, I reclined into the bus seat and looked out the window. Trees and shrubs lined the narrow path with many small crevices in between. It would've been a hassle to walk through such a place. Before long, the bus had entered the highway I saw at night. Tall cliffs and beautiful beaches flanked the highway and it was a grand sight. It's been a while since I've seen such wonderful views; it was only during field trips that I got to see places like this, so I consider myself lucky.

A few dozen minutes later we finally entered the town proper. The town was basically a collection of a few small houses and a pair of two-storey buildings amidst tall trees of all sizes. It was a quaint town and had a relaxing aura about it that made me forget I was running away from home.

"Here we are." The driver said as he parked the bus by one of the two-storey buildings, "The town's pretty small so the bus depot and the inn were integrated into one lot."

That's convenient…

"Anyways, if you want to get yourself a place to stay, the inn here is a good choice." The driver suggested, "The convenience store if just around the corner too if you need anything. Other than that, the other buildings here are mostly houses."

"I see…" I said a little shakily. I didn't have that much money on me after all, so I didn't know just how long I'd last on my small stash.

"If you have any questions about the area," the driver said, "just ask, okay?"

"Sure." I said gathering my things and getting off the bus. The town was small enough that I could see every building from where I stood, so I guess I wouldn't get lost here. However, the mountain house that had piqued my interest not too long ago was also nearby. Curious, I turned to the driver and asked,

"What about that mountain house over there? Is that part of the town?"

"Oh yes. It's actually one o the town's attractions." The driver said, "It's the vacation home of Miss Ami Kawashima."

"Ami Kawashima…" I repeated to myself. My eyes then bulged in realization, "THE Ami Kawashima!?"

"That's right." The driver laughed heartily. "She's famous around these parts. Whenever she comes over, there's usually a crowd that visits our humble town."

"Is she there now?" I asked, "I mean, at the vacation house that is."

"Yeah." The driver said, "That's why I came over to the station early; I thought there'd me more than one person clamoring to get picked up. Are you a fan of hers?"

"No." I denied, though I think she is quite pretty. "I'm just an acquaintance."

"Well then why don't you go visit her?" The driver suggested, "Judging by the look on your face when I mentioned the in and the convenience store and the way you're fidgeting with your wallet, you don't have a lot of cash on you."

How did he figure that out!?

"If you're an acquaintance then I'm sure she'll help you out." He added, "She's a kind person after all."

"Eh, but!"

"Anyways, I gotta go kiddo." The driver said checking his watch, "Time for round two. I have to work for my pay after all."

"Hey! I'm not a…"

Before I could finish, the driver had closed the doors then driven back out of the town. Sighing, I looked up to the mountain home and pondered… maybe it's not such a bad idea to pay her a visit.

**To Be Continued**


	11. Ami, The Familiar Face

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 2**

**Prologue**

A beautiful girl leans on the railings of a snow-covered balcony, her eyes looking out the snow-covered landscape. A thick blanket rests on her shoulders and a warm mug of cocoa steams up in her hands. As I got closer and closer to that home on a hill, it became unmistakable; it was her.

"Ami-chan!" I cried out from where I stood, waving my arm out so she could see me.

Startled, the girl turned to where I was frightened, nearly dropping her mug in the process. Well, I would've been frightened too if someone shouted out my name out of the blue, so I don't blame her. When she saw that it was me though, she sighed in relief and said,

"You know Satoshi-kun, you shouldn't go around shouting on cliffs in the mornings."

"I'll try not to next time." I apologized, scratching the back of my head "Anyways, mind if I come in?"

"Sure thing." She said coming back into her house and opening the door for me. She then smiled and said, "Welcome to my home."

* * *

**Ami Kawashima's Vacation Home**

"Wh… whoa!" I gasped, looking around the entrance like a stock broker surrounded by green flashing lights, "This is… this is amazing!"

"You like it?" Ami-chan said showing me to the living room

"Yeah." I said, still amazed by the sheer size and beauty of the place.

"Stay here for a sec Satoshi-kun," Ami-chan said heading out of the room, "let me get you some cocoa."

"Sure thing, thanks." I said rubbing my hands together to ward off the cold. Though I've been having chocolate for the past few days on that train, I still think that a warm mug of cocoa would be nice. Hey, what can I say? I may be trying to be an independent man, but I'm still a kid at heart after all; the thought of chocolate makes me all giddy. A few moments later, she came back to the living room with a second mug of cocoa.

"So tell me Satoshi-kun," she said handing me a mug, "what brings you to my humble home on such short notice?"

'Humble' was hardly the word I'd use to describe this place… I mean, it was pretty… and huge… pretty-huge that is! Man, if Ritsu saw this place, she'd definitely want to bring her band here for a… wait. No. No, no, no, no. Stop. Don't think about them… they're the past. I have nothing to do with them now, and they have nothing to do with me. After all, they're probably not thinking about me either…

As I sat there in silence, Ami-chan, with a curious and faintly irritated look on her face, waved a hand in front of me to call my attention.

"Hello? Anyone there?" She grumbled, "Am I talking to Hamlet here?"

"Oh!" I said, realizing I'd been spacing out, "Sorry, I was just thinking about something… and NO I am not Hamlet! I failed English because of that cursed book…"

"Doesn't that make you want to have an emotional soliloquy about grief and the meaning of life?" She prodded, "I'm sure Shakespeare would be proud."

I chose not to respond, making Ami-chan laugh heartily.

"Anyways," Ami-chan said changing the subject, "you still haven't answered my question you know."

"Ah, why am I here?" I asked. As I started to conjure up a response, my heart sank. I realized that I was running away from home after all… For a while, I kinda felt like I was on some sort of vacation... Also, telling that to someone something like that, even to just an acquaintance like Ami here felt quite awkward.

"C'mon, tell me." Ami-chan prodded relentlessly, seemingly intrigued by my hesitation to respond.

"Hmm," I replied as casually as I could to save face, "well, my… family and I decided to come over to the mountains to celebrate New Year. We heard from our bus driver that you lived in the area, so we thought we should drop by and say hi."

"Ah, I see." She said in realization, "Where are they now?"

Argh… clearly, I should've cut back on using 'we' in that sentence.

"They're at the inn in town," I said lying casually once again, "they were too tired from the… train ride that they decided to rest up first before coming over."

"What about your sister?" She asked with rising interest, "Didn't she go with you?"

"N… nah." I denied, "She was pretty tired to, so she asked me to go on ahead."

"That's strange." Ami-chan said thoughtfully, "I thought she was the energetic type… When I saw you out on the trail, I thought she'd be with you."

"What makes you say that?" I asked

"Well, after their performance at the concert hall, I happened to see the two of you with the whole band." Ami-chan explained, "She was very peppy, obviously, and the two of you were very close. I just thought that you and your sister were inseparable…"

"Well, we're two different people after all…" I said half-heartedly, "we won't always be together."

"I guess you're right." Ami-chan said with a sigh, "Anyways, now that you're here, I might as well show you around."

Leaving our mugs behind, the two of us went around her summer home which was much larger than I had first thought. It was a two-storey home with a large balcony-slash-deck that surrounded. From there, I had a 360-degree panoramic view of everything around us and it was a breathtaking sight. On top of that, the lot Ami-chan owned included a small private beach connected to the house via a wooden staircase and the whole cove itself! Exactly how rich is this girl anyways? This villa isn't as flashy as the ones Tsumugi-senpai has but it was astounding nonetheless. One thing I did notice though was that there was no one else around… was it just her?

"Uhm… Ami-chan." I said as we were returning to the living room, "don't tell me you're living here alone now, are you?"

"Something wrong with that?" She asked a little defensively, "I'm living alone and I'm proud of it."

"I guess you're right." I said with a sigh, "Being independent is something you should be proud of."

"I know…" she said thoughtfully, "but it's kinda hard too you know. My parents themselves are in the fashion business you see. They're hardworking people and they provide me with everything I ever need, I'll give them that, but we rarely see each other nowadays… I'm the only child too, so when I'm not working, I'm usually by myself."

"Is that so…" I said, reminiscing about my own family

"You're very lucky to have a loving family Satoshi-kun," she said with a kind smile, "and a fun sister to be at your side when you're alone."

"Actually I…" I said, staggered by everything Ami-chan had been saying up to now. Every word she spoke felt like daggers slicing through my chest.

"Yes?" She said, seemingly innocent of my plight, "What is it Satoshi-kun? You can tell me anything…"

"I've been lying to you…" I said shaking my head, "my parents aren't here… my sister isn't here. They're not at the inn downhill and they're not anywhere nearby… I ran away from home."

"Knew it." She said with calm composure, "I knew you were lying all along."

"Eh?" I asked, shocked by her reaction

"Being in the modeling business at such a young age, I've learned to observe people closely; more closely than others." She said looking straight into my eyes, "Just by the look in their eyes, I can see exactly what a model is thinking. 'The lights are too bright', 'the catwalk is too long', I know. I figured you were trying to hide something all this time… but I still can't believe that you did what you did."

"I had to." I said turning away from her gaze, "You don't understand… my family didn't love me. Yes, my sister may have been there for me every so often, but she wasn't able to defend me… not once!"

"What about that girl you were with when we met at the mall?" Ami asked further, "You just went on ahead and left her… just like that!?"

"I was a weak person, shackled by authority… always being treated like a kid. She deserves better than me," I said trying hard to fight back tears, "someone who can make her happy…"

"I can't believe you…" Ami-chan said, amazed by everything I was saying, "Leave now. Go back to them… everyone who cares about you must be worried."

"NO ONE THERE CARES ABOUT ME! I'M NOT WORTH CARING ABOUT!" I cried, unable to suppress the tears any longer, "I can't show my face to them after what I've done… If ever I do cross paths with them again, I want them to see that I've grown…. I want them to see that I'm no longer the kid they could neglect… I want them to see that I am a responsible, independent man capable of living on my own. For now though… please let me live with you."

"Satoshi-kun… that's some story you just told me, but… I can't just let you…"

"Please Ami-chan! Don't turn your back on me!" I begged, "You're the only one I can turn to now… I'll work hard! I'll… I'll… I'll do anything you want!"

"You're really not going back, are you?" She asked.

I could only nod as I fervently wiped the tears on my cheeks.

"I guess it's useless to argue with you any longer." She groaned, "I'll let you stay here."

"Really!?" I asked, surprised by her sudden kindness

"Yeah." She said with a nod, "The thing is, I won't be staying in this house all year, but we'll talk about that later."

"Thank you Ami-chan! I'll make it up to you somehow! I promise!"

"Don't worry about it." She said with a smile, "I'm letting you stay here on one condition though."

"Sure, sure!" I said happily, "Anything you want."

"You have to be the one to pick up groceries while we're here."

"Eh?"

"You heard me; groceries."

"Ok-kay..."

As she showed me to the room I'd be using in my stay here, I looked back at the things that had been said. Surely Ritsu still cared about me... after all she's done for me. Even though in the end, she wasn't able to protect me, I still hoped that that little part of my past was true. She was the only glimmer of happiness I ever truly had. I know that no matter how hard I try to stand on my own, no matter how much i grow or how much of a man I become, I won't be able to forget her.

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

**Epilogue [ O ]**

"Ri-chan..." Yui Hirasawa said as she tried to rouse the dazed Ritsu Tainaka in the clubroom of Afternoon Tea Time, "Your tea's gonna get cold, you know..."

"Let her be Yui." Mio Akiyama said, calling Yui back to the table, "It's no use. She just lost her brother after all..."

"Her family is taking this very hard," Tsumugi Kotobuki added, "even Azusa-chan has been under the weather..."

True enough, their fifth member, Azusa Nanako, wasn't even there.

"Satoshi-kun..." Mio hummed in thought, "why did you have to go away like that that night... look at what happened... you ended up at the bottom of a freezing lake... you're dead."

"He's not dead." Ritsu then said coming back to life. Upon hearing Mio's thought, she sprung up from where she sat with a hint of anger in her eyes. "Who are you to say that he's dead!?"

"Ritsu..." Mio said stunned, "It's undeniable... everything the police found leads to that."

"And you're just going to accept that!?" Ritsu challenged, "Don't believe everything you see... Satoshi-kun is a smart kid. He's probably out there... no... he's definitely out there. Don't give up on him! If you give up on him just like that, then he had every right to run away and I'd never forgive myself!"

"What do you propose to do then?" Yui asked

"We keep working on our songs." Ritsu said picking up her drumsticks, "We will rise up and become stars, famous throughout all of Japan, and the world even! As we do that, we'll be searching for him, using everything we have to bring him back to us..."

"You really love your brother, I can tell." Mio said with a smile, "If that's the case, then count me in."

"Me too." Tsumugi said

"And me!" Yui said excitedly, "Somehow, I too feel that Satoshi-kun is out there... I love my sister Ui too, you know, so I know how you feel. I'll definitely help you Riichan!"

"Thanks guys." Ritsu said wiping a tear, "Azusa-chan will join us too hopefully... but let me tell you this. We will definitely find him. No matter how distant or obscure the place Satoshi-kun has found himself in, we will shine so bright that the light will reach him! I believe... he's just waiting for that light. When he sees it, he'll come back. I'm sure of it."


	12. The Lone Condition

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 3**

**Grocery Store, Town Square**

"Hmm…" I hummed as I stepped into the grocery store of the town I had landed myself in on my journey for freedom, "let's see now…"

Why am I here in the grocery store you ask? Well, the answer is simple… well, complicated really. It's a paradox. Sometimes, I don't even understand it myself… anyways, I am here on the charge of Ami Kawashima (yes, the one and only Ami – model extraordinaire) who generously allowed me to stay in her vacation house with her for the winter. 'She let you stay with her, just like that!?' you might retort, but don't get me wrong. It took some hard emotional negotiation to achieve this bargain… or should I say, act of charity. Fine, I practically begged to let me stay! But still…

Anyways, misunderstandings aside, the only condition she had to make me swear to was that I would have to be the one who would come to town to buy groceries every few days. It's a menial task, something even I was able to do, so I was glad that it was the only thing I had to do. Exactly why she was so particular about groceries is another story entirely. I had tried to ask her why that was all I had to agreed to, but all she said was,

"Be thankful I'm even letting you do this Satoshi-kun."

Don't worry Ami-chan. Words can't express just how indebted I feel towards you for letting me stay. Sighing, I shook that thought off for a moment and drew the grocery list she had drafted up after breakfast (which was a simple variation of fried rice – so simple, I think even I could make it!). The list went as followed:

1. Sack of Rice

2. One Dozen Eggs

3. Olive Oil

4. Dinner Bread

5. Corned Beef… be sure to buy **a lot**

6. Mayonnaise/Ketchup/Mustard

7. Your own toiletries (cause no way am I letting you touch mine)

The thing that stuck out for me (aside from the toiletries thing, which made me remember exactly why I couldn't get myself to take a warm bath the previous night) was the corned beef. As I was leaving the house, she reminded me time and again to get as much corned beef as I could find. If I remember correctly, she cleared the convenience store in the mall of corned beef too… I guess she really likes the stuff, but I don't see why exactly. I mean, I like corned beef myself for breakfast and sometimes but I never really saw it as anything special enough to crave. Well, different folks have different strokes I guess.

Marching over to the canned good shelves of the store, I decided to get the corned beef anyways and not to delve in too much to her strange craving for the stuff. Then came a predicament of unfathomable irony; there wasn't a tin of corned beef anywhere to be found! I searched around the other sections too, hoping to find a tin, but there simply weren't any of them! Argh… this sucks. It's my first time on the job and I already can't do everything asked of me. How pathetic!

Groaning, I dazedly walked around the shop again, this time, looking for the other things on my list. When I saw that I had gotten everything, I sighed about the absence of any corned beef and headed for the payout counter. Maybe I could ask about the corned beef there… As I was about to reach the counter though, the contents of a nearby magazine rack caught my attention. The top row of the rack was lined with quite a number of trendy magazines featuring Ami Kawashima herself. Judging by the small numbers of the magazine left on the rack, it must have been a popular buy. Since it was along the way to the counter, I decided to pick up a copy myself to have a look. The headline of the thing went, "Ami Kawashima deciding to take a break from modeling, is it true!?"

Apparently, it was one of those pop culture magazines aimed towards girls. It felt kinda strange realizing what I had picked up, but a magazine is a magazine after all. There's nothing wrong with me taking a look at some of the pages… Turning to the table of contents though, I see an image that I didn't see coming. One of the secondary topics was about the pop icons who had siblings and photos of me, Ritsu, Yui-senpai and her sister Ui-san were being featured! What the heck! Surprised to see my face on a popular magazine, I quickly turn to the pages mentioned in the table of contents and hunt for the pictures in a frenzied rush.

True enough, there was a picture there of me on that page. It wasn't just a picture of me though, it was a picture Ritsu took of herself and me from the camera of her cellphone a few months ago. I can't believe this picture got to a magazine! The surprised look on my face in the picture made a little uneasy… if I had the chance to go back in time to that moment, I would have at least tried to make a decent smile… or forced Ritsu to delite the picture, but what's done is done. However, I guess the selling point of the photo was the candidness of it all. I guess that's a good thing. The photo right next to mine and Ritsu's was quite similar, except that it was Yui-senpai who seemed surprised that the flash had already gone off. It was quite funny actually.

Seeing these pictures, I remembered the good times I had spent with my sister. Not every moment of it was a bad experience after all; the breakfast competitions, the morning sneak attacks, the rock band videogame tournaments, the drum lessons… the comforting words. Maybe I had taken those things for granted... however, this is precisely why I had to go. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, I knew I was just being a burden to her. I was the problem child of the family after all, so problems were all I must've caused for her. I want to think otherwise, but there's no other way I can see it…

Just then, as I was staring at that page, the shopkeeper behind the cashier called to me. She was a female young adult who seemed interested by the fact that I was on that particular page.

"Yo. Are you a fan of Afternoon Tea Time too?"

"I…" I mumbled, startled by the sudden call, "I guess so."

"I see…" she said getting somber all of the sudden, "did you hear the news. Tainaka's brother fell into a frozen lake four days ago… he's been pronounced dead by the police and the whole town is mourning."

"Is that so…" Hearing about my own 'death' when I'm still alive is a really awkward thing, especially after thinking that I wouldn't have to hear about that incident again. It can't be helped.

"He's pronounced dead by the police," the lady said thoughtfully, "but Ritsu thinks he's still alive… can you believe it? Isn't it obvious that he's already dead? She has to let him go…"

"If she let go and forgot all about him," I replied, hesitating to refer to myself as someone else "then… S… Satoshi-kun would really be dead."

"Hmm…" the shopkeeper said, watching me with observant eyes. Shoot! After saying something like that, she's bound to get suspicious about me! Gulping, I feinted,

"You know; a person may be dead, but their memory can live on." I explained, "If Satoshi-kun really is dead, then at least his memory should live on, right?"

"Ah. I guess I can see where you're getting at here." The shopkeeper said rubbing her chin, "Anyway, sorry for just barging in on you like that. I'm an Afternoon Tea Time fanatic too you know, so I couldn't help but look at what you were reading."

"It's okay."

"Anyways, were you able to get everything you need today?"

"Actually, I wasn't able to." I said leaving my items at the payout counter, "I looked everywhere around the shop, but I couldn't find a single tin of corned beef."

"Oh, sorry about that." The shopkeeper apologized, "Some strange fellow bought out all the corned beef less than a week ago."

Strange fellow? I have a terrible feeling that it must've been Ami-chan who did this again. She cleared out the corned beef in the mall too so my suspicions are terribly strong. The only thing that doesn't make sense though is that if she cleared out all the corned beef in this store only a week ago, how was she able to finish all of that on her own?

"Well," the shopkeeper explained, "we didn't have a lot to begin with; only 36 tins in total when I last inventoried the corned beef."

That's still quite a lot of beef to eat in a span of one week…

"Also," the shopkeeper added, "since we're in a remote mountain town, the canned goods are only shipped off to us every two weeks or so. The vegetables, eggs, milk, meat and fish though arrive here fresh daily. This is a farming and fishing town too after all."

"I see…" I said nodding, "but I really wanted to have some corned beef."

Well, it was actually Ami-chan who wants it, but I promised myself not to return without getting every single thing on the list so I insisted.

"Well," the shopkeeper said, "if you really want corned beef, you could prepare some yourself! Just get some beef brisket, chop it up finely and cure it with spices and salt. It's much tastier than the canned beef, believe me!"

"Is that so?" I said somewhat relieved, heading over to the meat section to fetch some meat, then to the condiments section for some salt and spices, "I'll try that out, thanks."

"No problem," said the lady as she priced the groceries. "Will you be paying with cash or credit card?"

"Cash," I said handing her some of the money Ami-chan had given me to buy the groceries. She knew that I didn't have enough money, so she was considerate enough to give me some whenever I had to go out.

"Have a nice day." The lady said. I exited the shop and headed straight for the mountain home again. "Corned beef, huh."

As my steps echoed flatly against the partially snow-covered pathway to the mountain home, the wind rustled a few nearby shrubs surprising me for a while. It was almost as if someone was following me… but that can't be. Other than Ritsu, no one is looking for me I guess. I'm 'dead' after all, so why would anyone still be looking for me? Sighing, I carried on to the mountain home with the groceries in hand.

As soon as I finished unpacking all of the groceries on the kitchen counter, I washed my hands thoroughly in the sink then open up the parcel of beef brisket. Setting the salt and the spices alongside the chopping board, I grabbed the biggest knife in the knife rack and started chopping the beef to fine bits. Once the beef had been cut up, I marinade it in salt and spices, rubbing the beef tenderly to let the flavor sink in. Looking at the high quality meat I was marinating carefully, it already looked like it was going to be a pretty tasty. Not long after, Ami-chan came around the kitchen and checked the groceries I had picked up. Try as she might, the tins of corned beef she had been looking for were absent. She then turned to where I stood, intrigued that I was working on something culinary.

"What are you doing over there Satoshi-kun?"

"Making corned beef." I said turning to her for a sec, "Some _weirdo_ bought all of the corned beef last week apparently, so I had to improvise."

"I see." She said with a smile, "Oh well."

She then walked away, humming satisfied. Was she looking forward to dinner then perhaps? Personally, I am. In any case, I'm glad I was able to repay her kindness somehow. Making my own corned beef for her may have been small compared to giving me a roof over my head for the winter, but small things add up you know. This is the start of my new life after all, so I'd like to start it with as few debts as possible. With these small actions, I'm starting to establish my independence and I'm repaying for the kindness of Ami-chan and Ritsu. I'm standing on my own two feet... or at least, I'm getting there pretty quickly. I'll show you Ritsu, I can do this.

**To Be Continued**


	13. Ritsu, The Relentless Sister

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 4**

**Azusa Nanako's House [ O ]**

A solitary figure sits silently on the living room sofa, leaning forward as she embraced a pillow in front of her and rested on it limply. Her eyes drooped down to the ground and rings were forming underneath her eyes, a result of blatant lack of sleep. She has sitting there doing nothing for the past four days now, standing up only for her daily meals or for her basic necessities. All this time, she had never left her house and just sat there staring at the floor.

Sitting on a coffee table before her was an opened magazine she used to enjoy reading. Every time her eyes saw met with those of the people featured on the volume, chills ran up her spine and she turned away, tears running down her eyes. Featured on that page was her upperclassman and friend Ritsu Tainaka, embracing her surprised younger brother, Satoshi Tainaka; the boy who died four days ago. This boy had been close to her; too close to be called just friends, but too distant to be called lovers. No matter how people looked at it, the fact that this person she had been close to had died was devastating to her. She remembers the night he died vividly, haunting her dreams every time she tries to sleep. That scene was burned into her mind, not giving her a moment of repose.

She remembered how angrily Satoshi lashed at his parents and how disappointed he felt about her, and their whole band. She remembered how he rushed up to his room, not minding their pleas for him to calm down. She remembered how she saw an inkling of him riding a rickety mountain bike into the night. The next day, that same mountain bike was seen impaled into the sheets of ice that layered a frozen lake. The boy died that day, she told herself, and that she had a part in his death. She couldn't rest easy thinking about that somber thought, but she couldn't, as much as she wanted to, ignore them either.

Before that sad incident, she saw signs of Satoshi's dissatisfaction with the way his life was going. She had many chances to ease the suffering he felt, but she never really took it too seriously. Instead, she encouraged him to move forward; moving forward, not specifying which direction he should be moving in. His drive for freedom brought him to the bottom of a frozen lake. He had felt cold while he was still alive, he told her once, but not he was encased in a casket of frigid water and ice. It was her fault; she repeated to herself, it was her fault.

She had held his hand once, she remembered. Now, as she saw the spaces between her fingers, she felt empty. Why didn't she do anything, she asked herself, why did she let go?

As these thoughts hounded her mind, the doorbell rang breaking the silence. She was startled, of course, but she didn't move from where she sat. She didn't want to move from where she sat. She didn't want to move forward again, not after what had happened four days ago. All that awaited her moving forward was the dismal reality; she didn't want that. She wanted to stay there and never move forward again.

The door bell rang again, then a third time and a fourth. Nobody else was going to answer the door; her whole family went out for the day and she refused to go with them. The bell rang a fifth time and she realized she'd have to open it herself. She opened the door to reveal four figures clad in heavy jackets; the members of Afternoon Tea Time.

"AZU-NYAN~!" Yui Hirasawa cried as she immediately clung on to Azusa

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" She cried as she struggled to break free of the guerilla embrace. Not only was she feeling crushed, Yui's jacket felt terribly cold too. She'd been trying to warm herself up for the longest of times too, so she was quite irritated. Thankfully, Yui let go not too long after. Her band mates left their coats and boots by the doorway and she led them to her living room where she brought them some tea.

"Azu-nyan…" Yui said with a worried expression as she sipped her tea, "you haven't been coming to our meetings lately."

"I'm sorry." Azusa said with a forced laugh, "I've been busy…"

"Ah, what's this?" Tsumugi said, eyeing the magazine sprawled out on the coffee table before them, "Popular artists and their siblings… ah! It's the pop magazine."

"Really!?" Yui asked, nearly dropping her tea cup, "Oh cool! Look! Look! Ui and I are featured here!"

True enough, Yui was shown on the opened page with her younger sister Ui Hirasawa. Yui looked completely surprised, and it looked like Yui was the younger one among them.

"But the picture beside it is…" Mio said pointing to the page beside it, "Isn't that Ritsu and…"

"Satoshi-kun…" Ritsu said with a tone of melancholy, "yeah…"

"You're still sad about Satoshi-kun, aren't you…" Yui said facing Azusa. Azusa could only nod as she embraced her pillow tighter. A moment of silence followed as Azusa closed her eyes, unable to prevent a lone tear from sliding down her cheek. Seeing how their friend reacted, the other band members looked at each other in panic. Ritsu however remained calm. Azusa felt this, not hearing Ritsu's voice among the panicked discussion, and it made her quite puzzled.

"Azusa." Ritsu then said in that calm tone, "Satoshi-kun isn't dead… I don't have any proof. I don't have any evidence, but that is what I believe."

"How can you say that!?" Azusa demanded, her closed eyelids now unable to hold back the tears, "You saw it with your own eyes Ritsu… he left us… he died!"

"I know you may think its weird… or that I'm just too selfish and too afraid to accept what is right in front of me," Ritsu replied emotionally, "but something deep inside tells me Satoshi-kun is still alive… he's still out there."

"I can't believe you're saying these things Ritsu…" Azusa replied, feeling a lot worse, "Isn't it obvious yet…?"

"But Riichan's right," Yui added, "It's too early to tell what really happened…"

"You still insist on that!" Azusa cried desperately, "Now, he's trapped under ice, dead and cold! How would you feel if you find out that he really is dead, huh guys? We're also to blame for his death, you know? If we had only done something, then this might not have happened! It's better for us to let go… it's what we should do… it's the least we could do… it's the only thing we can do."

Azusa's friends were silenced again, but Ritsu remained as firm as ever.

"I understand that if that were really the case, then I am the one at fault. He was my little brother; my responsibility. It was my job to take care of him and to comfort him when he was troubled… Because I wasn't a good enough sister for him, he ran away and I feel bad about myself for just letting him do that…"

"See!" Azusa shouted, "Then why don't you…"

"But giving up on him now feels like a crime to me! That'd mean that he had every right to run away… that he was never really happy with me, and with all of us here. I refuse to believe that! A person is only truly dead when he or she has been forgotten by the people closest to him. Satoshi-kun is my little brother… I love him and he is my responsibility. Whether he is truly dead or hanging in there somewhere in this country, the moment I choose to forget him is the time he dies. Isn't that all the more reason for me to act… all the more reason for me not to give up!? Even if he is dead, then at least I want him to keep living in me… because of that… I truly believe he's out there. He felt neglected, and that is why he left us. If we can show that we still care, then I'm sure he'll come back one way or another… or at the very least, I'll be able to accept reality better knowing that I tried."

"Ritsu…" Azusa said, moved by her words

"There are many things I want to tell him…" Ritsu said, "I want to show him how hurt father was when he left. He may not have shown it, but he really cared about Satoshi-kun. He just wanted the best for him and wanted him to strive. The situation in my house was terrible after that, but when I talked to my parents and told them how I felt, they were amazed but supportive. Instead of getting weaker, we became stronger as a family. I want to tell him that. I want him to see that there will always be a place for him in our hearts, and that he will live on no matter what. That's why I choose to move forward Azusa… and I ask you to move forward with me."

"Move forward…" Azusa said wiping some tears

"Yeah…" Ritsu added, "My little brother's a clever kid. He won't go down that easily. Knowing him, he's moving forward too… we just have to catch up with him!"

"Is that so…" Azusa said mellowing up, "if that's the case… then count me in."

"Thank you Azusa…" Ritsu said, standing up from where se sat and embracing the girl. The two of them then started to cry.

"We'll find him… the clouds of winter will pass, and we can see the stars again." Ritsu said, speaking in the same way she did when she comforted Satoshi, "And who knows… we might cross paths again soon."

**To Be Continued**


	14. Two Way Reluctance

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 5**

**Ami Kawashima's Vacation Home**

A fogged breath rises up to the cloudy horizon, chilly winter winds brushing through the frosty air. Clad in thick sheets, Ami runs a hand gently through as she held on to a mug of cocoa with the other. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the snow-covered railings of her villa's deck and watched that cloudy horizon. Every morning, this was her routine. She just stood there and watched the cloudy skies, her sighs being the only things breaking the subtle silence.

Her eyes were set on the bright spot gleaming in the rows of grey clouds; the spot where the sun should be had there not been any clouds in that dismal grey sky. Though the clouds were thick, the spot was distinctly brighter than its surroundings. Ami, who watched the spot in deep thought, pondered a question she had been asking herself for a long time; how long could she keep on going like that? She had been standing like that everyday for quite a while now. There were a lot of things going on in her mind.

Earlier that week, she had received a call from her father – her father who also doubled as her talent manager. It was about the statement she had made in the latest issue of a certain pop culture magazine. There, Ami said that she was thinking about taking a break from modeling work so that she could focus on her studies. Usually, she went to a private tutor in Tokyo since her father's design company was based there. She told this to her interviewee and said that though she wasn't against being homeschooled, she wanted to actually try going to a regular school. This statement sparked a lot of controversy and brought Ami and her father's company for which she worked a lot of publicity; both positive and negative.

At the end of a lengthy discussion, her father proposed to delay her plans of transferring to a real school. If she made that move too early, he reasoned, it would cause too much of a shock and the publicity could turn sour. She was asked to continue modeling for about a year or so to cushion the effect of her transfer, but Ami was very reluctant to accept the offer. It was a reasonable proposal, and being a seasoned model such as herself, she knew that that was the best way to go about it. Still, she couldn't get herself to accept that offer. The call ended a week ago, but everything they had talked about still swirled around in her head that day. Her father had been calling her for the past few days, but Ami never answered his calls. She didn't know what to do. As the missed calls piled up in her cellphone, Ami sunk deeper and deeper into a silent confusion.

Just then, a distinct smell reached Ami's nose. It was a familiar smell, but it was out of place with the scent of the surrounding forest. It was the smell of fried eggs and bacon being cooked. It didn't take her long to realize what had just taken place.

"SATOSHI!" She cried, running back into the villa with her mug of cocoa in hand, worried about what her unofficial tenant was doing in her villa's kitchen

"Mornin'." Satoshi Tainaka said casually, holding up a spatula and waving at her as if it were his hand

"What are you doing Satoshi-kun!" Ami hollered angrily, "You might… oh…"

Turning her eyes to the frying pan, she saw a pair of eggs and a few strips of bacon sizzling nicely. The yolks of the egg were still whole and Satoshi had used the natural oil from the bacon instead of adding olive oil. She was impressed.

"It'll be ready in a minute Ami." Satoshi said, returning his attention to the sizzling pan.

Ami, as impressed as she was with Satoshi's action, was dumbstruck by what had just happened. Before her stood Satoshi Tainaka, the boy he had let into her home after running away from his own home, donning a blue apron and frying eggs atop her kitchen stove. It had been four days since she had let him into her home and here he was frying up a breakfast for two. She doesn't remember asking him to do that for her. Usually it was she who prepared breakfast for the two of them in the mornings after all.

"I got up early since I was really hungry, you see." Satoshi said amidst the sizzling sounds, "I saw you outside but you looked kinda busy. I didn't want to disturb you, so I went on ahead and cooked."

Acting on impulse, she thought to herself. It was admirable of him to be able to do these kinds of things on a mere whim. Seeing how Satoshi could do such a thing just puzzled her even more. Why was he doing this? What was he trying to achieve? Unable to find an answer and too cold to return outside, she retired the sheets she had wrapped around herself, washed the empty mug of cocoa and sat at the dining table. There, a half-bowl of steamed rice was already set as well as a cup of green tea.

"You're quite diligent." Ami said, commenting on Satoshi's meticulous preparation of breakfast.

"Thanks." Satoshi said in response, "I'm going to have to learn to get used to doing these sorts of things, you know. It's not like I'm going to be staying here forever."

That was true. Satoshi wasn't staying under the roof of Ami's mountain villa permanently. He was a temporary tenant and would have to leave one time or another which only added to the worries in her head. If ever Ami had to leave the villa, Satoshi cannot and should not stay. That would make him a squatter resident. He didn't want to leech off from Ami's kindness for the rest of his life either.

What would he do when she had to leave? Where would he go? She had to tell him about that dilemma, saying that after New Year's Eve, she would have to return to Tokyo and now was the perfect time. She sighed and told Satoshi about it as calmly as she could.

"I can go to Tokyo with you." Satoshi said as he joined her at the table, brining the eggs and the bacon to her side. As soon as she heard that, she bit her lip. She was expecting an answer like that from him. Heaving another heavy sigh, she told him that that wasn't possible making Satoshi's heart sink. If the most popular young model came back to Tokyo with a young boy like Satoshi, she explained, rumors would spread like wildfire. She also added that if Satoshi stayed with a high-profile personality like herself, it wouldn't take long for everyone to realize that he, Satoshi Tainaka, was still, in fact, alive.

Satoshi heard that blunt explanation and fell silent. Ami then remembered the harsh situation Satoshi was in. If he couldn't go with her, he had nowhere else to go. Once she realized that, she felt a little sorry for rejecting him so plainly. However, it had to be said. The longer she kept that from him, the harder it would be for the both of them after all.

"If that's the case, then I'm going to start working to support myself." He said with a weak yet determined voice, "Day after day, I've come to realize how dependent I've become. I can't keep on relying on others like this."

"Satoshi-kun…" Ami mumbled, surprised by Satoshi's sudden determination.

"The very reason I left my home was so that I could grow." Satoshi said with sense of purpose, "If I carry on like this, then running away would have been for nothing."

"Why don't you go home then?" Ami suggested. Ever since the day she had let him into her home, she hadn't been a fan of Satoshi's decision to run away from his home.

"I can't do that." Satoshi retorted fiercely, "I've come all this way… I can't go back now!"

Ami stared straight into Satoshi's eyes as he said this, silently pleading for him to go back. She couldn't support him forever but she didn't want to leave him alone at his state. Despite her silent pleas, his eyes burned with a passion that she could not quell. It made her sick.

"So what do you plan to do with your life Satoshi?" Ami said coldly, "Do you plan to keep on running?"

Satoshi flinched and looked away, unable to take Ami's intensifying gaze.

"I'm not running away. I'm moving forward."

"Forward huh…" Ami challenged, "do you really think you're moving forward now?"

Satoshi wanted to argue, but there was something in her words that struck him. When he looked back at it, it was by mere chance that he was able to evade the police that night and get onto that cargo train. When he first rode that bicycle out of the driveway of the Tainaka household, he didn't know where he would go. He was lost.

"Whenever you get into something, you will always need some sort of direction." Ami said in a mellower tone. "People will always need guidance, you see. We can't just jump into something and expect everything to go our way. That's why we have to set our goals and work hard to reach them. There will always be problems along the way, but perseverance will get us through."

"Guidance…" Satoshi said to himself, "like a star?"

"Maybe." Ami said, "You always talk about moving forward, but you never talk about exactly what you are moving towards or even what direction you're moving. Just because you're moving doesn't mean you're moving in the right direction. Look to the stars, and you'll at least be able to see what path you're headed to."

"I see." Satoshi said ponderously, "So what should I do now?"

"You want to be self-supporting right?" Ami said, "Then go get a job in town. You don't have a lot of money on you, right?"

"Don't remind me…" Satoshi said, still sour about the contents (or lack thereof) of his wallet.

"But anyways, that's a good step." Ami said with a nod. "If you save enough money, you can find a good apartment somewhere and buy what you want."

Satoshi nodded, thrilled by the thought of actually living on his own labor.

"That'll be tough though…" Satoshi said in thought, "Even if I work a few jobs, I'd still be hard pressed to pay the rent in a low-end apartment…"

"That's true…" Ami sadly agreed.

"So instead…" Satoshi said cheerfully, "I'm going to get a bicycle."

"A bicycle?"

"Yes Ami, a bicycle." Satoshi nodded, "If I get a bicycle, then I'll be able to move around on my own. I could just bring my things and go wherever the road leads me."

Ami tried to argue with him again, but Satoshi was adamant about getting a bicycle.

"Do you remember, I left my house riding a bicycle." Satoshi said, explaining himself to the confused Ami, "The bicycle was a rickety old mountain bike, just like the old self I had left behind. I rode into the night not knowing where I was headed and I ended up falling downhill and almost crashing into a frozen lake. The old bike was destroyed and it was a terrifying ordeal, but I now have a chance to start anew. I want to get a bike so that I can pick up from where I started, but as my new self, you see?"

"A revival then…" Ami said, pondering over Satoshi's explanation

"That's right." Satoshi said, "The skies will clear someday, and I'll finally be able to follow those stars again. Getting a bike is my first step to self-sufficiency – it'll open up a whole new world for me."

"I see." Ami said with a smile, "gosh, you sound so much like Yuusaku… wait."

Ami's eyes then started to glow.

"Wait a minute Satoshi-kun… I have an idea!" Ami said hopefully, "You know Yuusaku Kitamura right? The guy I was with at the concert hall back in your town?"

Satoshi's eyebrow twitched at the mention of his name. When he met him at the concert hall, he was jealous of how close he had been to Ami since she was popular. Discarding his spite for a while though, he gave a slight nod.

"Perhaps I could get him to let you stay with him at his town." Ami proposed.

"Me, live with him?" Satoshi said a little taken aback

"Yeah, why not? He's a childhood friend of mine, and he's a good person." Ami said, "I'm sure you'll get along."

"But…"

"Well," Ami said with a devious grin, "would you prefer sleeping in the snow or staying in a house?"

"In a house…" Satoshi grumbled. He was acutely adverse towards the cold after all and Ami knew about it.

"So it's settled then." Ami said, "I'll ask him about it sometime."

"Fine…" Satoshi said, accepting defeat. "But I'm still going to work to get a bike."

"I heard you the first time." Ami said grinning. The two of them then got on to their breakfast and cleared the table in a breeze. Satoshi left soon afterwards to find some work and Ami showed him to the door. Now that she was alone, she went back to the deck and watched the skies again. This time, the clouds had parted somewhat, and a strong ray of sunlight now flowed from that bright spot in the sky. A smile formed on her face as she remembered Satoshi's words.

"_The skies will clear someday, and I'll finally be able to follow those stars again…"_

"I guess we all have stars to follow…" Ami mumbled to herself as she fished out her cellphone from her pocket. She called her dad and said,

"I'll do it."

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A few days later, at the Grocery Store**

**Epilogue**

"Thank you for shopping! Please come again!" I said, wearing the widest smile I could muster. The smile was so wide that I felt my cheeks shaking involuntarily… sheesh. The customer nodded and left with his bag of groceries. Once he was gone, I sighed and leaned over the counter.

"So how are you holding up Sammy?" The young female shopkeeper said as she watched me plop down on the counter

"I think I'm fine. There were a lot of customers today, eh?"

"I guess so." She said with a smile. She then took out the remote control and turned on the TV in the corner and gave me a cup of instant noodles. I guess it was break time.

Hmm… you may be asking as to why the shopkeeper was calling me 'Sammy' instead of Satoshi and what I was doing lying down on the checkout counter of the grocery store. Well, you see, when I went down to town a few days ago to look for a job, the grocery/convenience store was the only place hiring so I went in and applied. I got along well with the shopkeeper too since she was a fan of my sister's band and since she taught me how to make corned beef (and I agree with her that hand-prepared beef is better than canned ones!).

The reason why she's calling me 'Sammy' instead of Satoshi is of course to hide my true identity from her. I wouldn't want her to go out and shout 'SATOSHI TAINAKA IS ALIVE!' or something… that'd just be terrible. So when I applied, I pulled out the greatest Canadian accent I could muster and told her that I was Sammy Tanaka. Thanks to my time with Francis, I developed a pretty good Canadian accent, ending every other sentence with 'eh' and pronouncing words like 'out' differently. Of course, she was suspicious at first, but when I started talking about hockey, the Juno awards and the Toronto Film Festival, she couldn't argue anymore.

Now, here I am, working my butt off as a checkout counter boy, saving up money to buy a bicycle. I worked by the hour, earning 350 kinsu per hour. After six hours of work at minimum wage, I basically doubled the amount of money that I had in the first place. It made me realize how poorly I would have lived if I got off that train at a different station. Thank goodness I landed in a town with an acquaintance like Ami.

Speaking of Ami, she had talked to her friend Yuusaku already and he said that he was willing to take me in. I was surprised that Yuusaku agreed so easily, even though we only met once at that concert but Ami soon explained that Yuusaku used to be the type who ran away from home too. So basically, he understood how I felt… I'm glad we were able to reach some mutual sense of understanding.

I would be taking a train to his town in about a week and I would be going to high school there with him. It wasn't exactly the total freedom I had dreamed of, but I could live with it. Studies are a part of self-sufficiency too after all, so I might as well give it my all. However, the freedom I had now was amazing! I'm still amazed that I was able to make it this far. I would really be starting anew. It's a new slate! It's a new life! I can't wait.

As I slurped down the instant noodles, the shopkeeper turned the TV to the entertainment channel where Afterschool Tea Time was being interviewed.

"I know Satoshi-kun is alive somewhere, I can just feel it!" Ritsu said determinedly, Yui-senpai nodding vigorously in support, "If you can see this right now Satoshi-kun, we're going to find you!"

Find me, huh? Sorry sis, but that ain't happening. Bring it on Ritsu, I'd like to see you try! This is one challenge I'm not going to lose.


	15. Moving Ever Onwards On

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 6**

**Ami Kawashima's Mountain Villa**

**Prologue**

There was an unusual air of energy that chilly December day as I rose up from bed early in the morning. Clear skies greeted my weary eyes for a change and the view of the beach from Ami Kawashima's mountain villa was, as always, a spectacle that has never failed to captivate me. A pair of birds then weaved through the nearby pines, taking advantage of the rare abundance of savory sunlight – I felt like I wanted to do the same. After all I've been though, seeing something like that was enough to lift my spirits – it was invigorating.

Awakened by this grand view, I stood up, stretched for a bit then arranged the bed sheets properly for once. It was a little something I had to start learning to do and, after finally being able to do it myself, I felt quite accomplished. Of course, since it was me doing the work, the folding part didn't turn out as nicely as I would've wanted it to though and the quality of it all was questionable at best. That shouldn't be too much of a problem though; it's the thought that counts after all! Putting the sheets away, I triumphantly left the room and headed straight downstairs.

Once I had found the way down (I still had trouble getting around that house – it was freakin' huge!) the sound of sizzling eggs greeted my ears. Peering into the kitchen, I saw Ami-chan standing before the stove and working on what looked like omelets. She seemed quite happy and was humming to the tune of a Christmas song, gently flipping the omelets over the pan with a smile. For the past few days of my stay here, I would catch her standing out on the deck in deep thought looking kinda somber. Today was a welcome change of routine – she seemed more pleasant now and actually looked quite pretty with a smile on her face. I can see why she was chosen to be a model.

Just as I was thinking that though, a sudden flick of her hand forced the spatula through the near-perfect omelets and the things ruptured onto the pan. Her pleasant smile then dissipated and her face puffed up with fury. Shivering in place, she watched as the broken omelet spread onto the pan, mocking her culinary prowess or lack thereof. Clenching her fist, the person I had described as an angel moments ago was now throwing a rampaging tantrum crying, "BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!"*. Hey chill out man! Look at it this way… you have scrambled eggs now. I was planning to come in and tell her that, but I realized that barging in now would be tantamount to suicide.

Stepping away from the kitchen-slash-potential deathtrap, I walked over to living room and sat down on one of the sofas. The large knapsack I had prepared the night before sat there in a corner and reminded me why things felt a little different today. Today was December 31, the last day I would be staying in Ami's care and the day I would leave this town.

* * *

**A Little Later**

"So…" I said as I took a seat on the dining table, "we're having scrambled eggs today?"

"Omelets, Satoshi-kun, they're omelets…" Ami grumbled, trying her best to defend her beleaguered dish. No matter how hard she sold it though, they looked nothing close to omelets.

"Anyways," she said, shifting the topic away from her culinary blunder, "are you set to go already?"

"Yeah…" I said taking out the train ticket and transfer stubs she had given me earlier, "I'm ready to go."

"Aren't you going to miss poor Ami-chan?" she asked, batting her eyelashes and talking endearingly

"I'll miss the house, that's for sure." I said plainly, deflecting her tease

"Ungh… you're no fun…" replied the girl, irritated that I didn't take the bait. "Anyways, you already have your day planned out?"

"Pretty much." I said, explaining my plans for the day in detail. As soon as I got out of the house, I would be headed for the convenience store for my last shift. I'd be getting my first paycheck there too so I definitely had to be there. Once I was done with that, I'd go catch a bus and I'll be on my way to the train station then catch the midnight train out of town. Ami listened with minimal interest as she seemed to pay more attention to her nails than to my explanation… ergh.

"You're forgetting something though Satoshi-kun…" Ami said, turning her attention back to me, "you were talking about getting a bike since yesterday, right?"

Oh right… the bicycle! I almost forgot about that… Darn. Just when I thought she wasn't listening, she goes on and reminds me of something I forgot to say… women are complicated creatures, I must say. Scratching my head, I faced her shyly and told her that I didn't think I'd be able to buy a bicycle anytime soon. I realized that sad truth on my way back home from work once, I told her. I happened to pass by a local sports store and the price tags attached to the bicycles in stock made me feel like one of those kids in those American bank commercials… it made me want to cry.

"Ah, that's a shame." Ami consoled, "Yuusaku might be able to get you a good bicycle though. He's a sports enthusiast you see, so he'll probably be able to help you out. You should talk to him when you get to his town."

"Asking help from someone again…" I muttered, "Won't I be causing him enough trouble already?"

"Haven't you already caused a lot of trouble by running away from home?" Ami countered deviously. My face drooped a little, so she shrugged innocently. "I'm just saying."

"Yeah, yeah…" I said getting back to topic, "The point is; I'm trying to start living on my own here. I don't want to keep asking for people's help…"

"Oh…" Ami said, reclining lazily on the dining chair, "I see what you mean."

Somehow, she didn't look all that convinced. Sighing, I just got back to eating breakfast over the usual over-the-table small talk, cleaning the dishes as soon as we were done. I then collected my things and she walked me out to the door.

"Well, I'll be seeing you Satoshi-kun." Ami said with a smile as I stepped out the door, "Be sure to get Yuusaku to contact me when you meet him okay?"

"Sure, sure." I said with a wave. Turning around, I started walking out to the pathway and onto the mountain trail down to town. Without looking back though, I noticed the apparent delay of the villa door closing. Somehow, I could feel Ami watching me from behind the open doorway. It was as if she wanted to say something… or maybe she was waiting for me to say something. Sooner or later though, the unmistakable sound of a door closing reached my ears, urging me to walk on. What was I expecting anyway? Shaking my head, I followed the path and left the Kawashima villa as a guest for the last time.

* * *

"Ah Tanaka-kun, just in time." The shopkeeper greeted as I entered the store, "We've got a long day ahead of us."

"Eh?" I asked, dropping off my things in the break room, "What's up boss?"

"I brought in a shipment from the city." She said, pointing out to the large truck parked outside of the shop, "We've got a lot of boxes to move. Get stretching."

"Boxes huh?" I asked intrigued, cracking my knuckles to psyche myself up, "This'll be done in no time!"

The two of us then walked on to the back of the truck with a cart each. This wasn't going to take a long time, I thought… how many boxes could there be? As soon as she opened up the back of the truck though, every square inch of the container van was filled with boxes of all shapes and sizes. Some of them looked painfully heavy… Not wanting to be shamed for my bravado, I rolled up my sleeves and started unloading boxes.

Two hours into the job, I was already panting like a dog, my back felt like it was going to give anytime soon and my arms were starting to get swollen from all the heavy lifting. After our valiant efforts in those two grueling hours, the truck was still about half-full and the larger boxes were the ones huddled at the back. This'll never get done… Leaning against the walls of the store, I lamented at the cruelty of the laws of Physics as I drank a paper cup of hot tea.

"Breaktime's almost over Sammy." The shopkeeper said wiping the sweat from her brow, "You ready for round two?"

"More or less…" I said, downing the tea and climbing back onto the truck to move those cursed boxes. We were already drenched in sweat even though there was snow piled up around us; I smell a paradox. Just as we were about to carry one of the bigger boxes though, a voice called out to us from outside the truck.

"Yo sis! Need some help?"

"Ah… you're here." The shopkeeper said, utterly relieved, "And no, we don't need some help. We need lots of it."

"Alright, alright." The voice replied. A tall young man then climbed onto the truck and joined us in the container van.

"Anyways bro," the shopkeeper, "let me introduce you to my little helper here – Sammy Tanaka. He's the guy who helped me run the shop these past few days."

"Are you now…" the man said walking over to me to shake my hand, "well it's nice to meet you young man."

"Ah, likewise." I said, trying to shake his hand. Sadly, my arms had already stiffened up in the face of the box-lifting so I was barely able to return the gesture. "Sorry about that."

The man then laughed, saying that I didn't have to worry about it. When he took a closer look at me though, he seemed to recognize me.

"Hey…" he said observing me from head to toe, "you're that kid I picked up at the train station!"

"Wait a sec…" the shopkeeper said, "so he's the kid who ran away from home you were telling me about?"

"Yeah, it's him." The man said nodding, "Sammy Tanaka huh… half-American?"

"Half-Canadian." I corrected, doing my best to imitate Francis Suzuki's Canadian accent, "I played hockey in the Canada games when I visited Calgary last summer, eh."

"Hockey huh... definitely Canadian…" the man said rubbing his chin in thought, "Anyways, we'll talk about this later; we have boxes to carry."

Saving our comments for later, the three of us got on to unloading the rest of the boxes and to my surprise, we were done in about an hour. It was now around 4PM in the afternoon when the three of us came together in the break room. For a while, compliments over the seemingly impossible accomplishments bounced around the room as we lounged around but the topic was quick to shift to poor ole' me.

Now that we were together in a brightly lit room, I was able to recognize the man as the bus driver who had picked me up at the train station a couple of days ago. He introduced himself to me then asked me the obvious question he and his sister the shopkeeper had;

"Why did you run away?"

Hesitantly, I revealed my story to them, changing bits of my story whenever I deemed it fit. I was telling them the story of Sammy Tanaka after all, not the story of Satoshi Tainaka. What resulted was a harangue of the truth mixed with stories I had heard from my half-Canadian friend when he was still in Japan… and perhaps a few tales I fabricated altogether. Despite the unnerving truth-to-lie ratio, I still found it hard to talk about that past I had forcefully tried to forget.

Just as I thought she would, the shopkeeper suggested that I go back home. Ami-chan too had been suggesting that option to me during my stay in this town, but that was an option I simply couldn't take. Whenever I do decide to return to them, I told the two people listening intently, I want them to see a different me. I want them to see that I have grown. This was a new chapter in my life; I need to take this opportunity to live on my own and grow. Upon hearing this though, the bus driver suddenly chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I asked, not expecting that sort of reaction from him

"You're really determined huh." The bus driver said, "You seem like you know where to go now."

"Perhaps…" I said nodding slightly.

"Are you staying here Sammy?" The shopkeeper asked a little concerned, "Cause… you know, if we can't convince you to go back, then at least let us help you."

"No, I'm not staying here." I said plainly, "Sorry, but I can't keep relying on other people."

"There ain't no shame in getting some help, boy." The bus driver said with a smile

"But…" I tried to argue, but he wouldn't let me

"Now tell me something… where exactly have you been living these past few days?" The bus driver probed knowingly

"I… uh…"

"Well? Answer that." The bus driver continued grinning. He had me cornered.

"I've been staying at Ami Kawashima's…" I admitted. The shopkeeper's eyes were sparkling with intrigue while the bus driver just smiled.

"I thought so." The bus driver then rubbed his chin, "Then doesn't that mean you've been relying on another person again."

Darn him… he sounded like one of my former classmates in the debate team. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy became a politician someday… Groaning, I accepted defeat.

"You see Sammy…" the bus driver said in a mellow tone, "people are naturally social beings. Behind all of that individualism and self-sufficiency stuff you hear on the news, we still rely on each other. Individualism is good an all, but at the end of the day, we can't live alone. Be thankful for what help you receive."

"But I'll just be a burden!" I countered desperately, "You may be right, but I don't want to be a burden to people. That'll just suck."

"Then give something back to them in return." The bus driver suggested, "It's give and take really. If you're worried about being a burden, then repay their kindness with kindness of your own. That's the best way to live."

"So please let us help you, poor soul." The shopkeeper said, "The hardest thing for me, in my opinion, is not being able to help someone in need when they're right in front of you."

"Hmm... I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to refuse." I said, "I'm leaving town after all, so I don't think you can help me."

"Oh?" The shopkeeper challenged, "Well, I think we can."

"Really now?" I asked

"You were looking for a bike weren't you?" The shopkeeper said, getting off her seat and marching over to the corners of the break room. Pushing some boxes aside, she stepped aside to show an old bike leaning against the wall. "Then I've got something that might interest ya."

Though I understood that she was offering the bike, my face couldn't help but twitch at the sight of the bicycle. It was a bike alright, but the paint job was rusted, the tires were busted, the pedals looked like they were beaten to death, the chain looked like it was ready to collapse and the brakes looked suspiciously faulty. Was this some sort of joke?

"This was the bike I used all the time for deliveries." The shopkeeper said reminiscently, "I've more or less beaten the crap out of this thing, I know, but it helped me survive when I was starting out this store."

She survived on THAT thing? I must have seen it all.

"Of course, after using this bike for so long, it gradually wore down." The shopkeeper continued, "That's why I took good care of it and maintained it as much as I could. This was my livelihood after all. This was my life."

True enough, when I came to have a closer look, there were a lot of modifications made on the bike. Parts that had broken down long ago were re-welded into place, different layers of paint were visible on the frame and the elastic part of the handlebars having been supported by badminton racket grip tape. It wasn't the best maintenance work I had seen, but a lot of effort was definitely put into it.

"So here's what I propose, Sammy." The shopkeeper said, "If you can fix this, then I'll let you have it. I already have the truck after all, so I don't need the bike anymore."

"This bike needs a lot of work." The bus driver said as he took a look at it himself, "Let me go grab some tools from my bus. I'll help you guys out."

"You'll really help me out?" I asked surprised. The two of them nodded reassuringly, making me feel a little shy. "Thanks."

"So let's get working." The shopkeeper said, "This bike longs for the open road – it's been stuck in this corner for way too long."

With that, the three of us got to work on the old bicycle. The rust and old paint of the frame was scraped off, giving way to a new coat of paint. The busted tires were replaced with new ones and the pedals were re-screwed and fortified. The old chain was torn off and a new steel one was put in its place. Finally, the faulty brake mechanism was repaired. The old bike that looked as if it were on the verge of collapse a few hours ago finally looked like a roadworthy vessel again.

"This is incredible…" I said, unable to believe what the three of us were able to do with the bike

"Well then… take it for a ride Sammy." The shopkeeper said, "Lets see how she holds up."

Nodding, I walked over to the bike and pushed it out to the shop's driveway. Once it was outside, I mounted it slowly and was able to get on it without too much trouble. Taking a deep breath, I got my foot off the ground and started pedaling around the driveway. The bike was stronger than I thought it was when and the whole thing was unbelievably sturdy.

"Go further!" The shopkeeper cheered, pointing to the town's main road where the streetlights were starting to go on.

"Alright!" I said, taking the bike out the driveway and onto the main road. The streetlights turned on one by one as I pedaled through the main road. The fading light of the distant sunset was giving way to the night and the stars started to fill the skies; a sight I had not seen for a long time urging me onwards. Pedaling faster and faster, I raced around town and cried at the top of my lungs,

"THIS IS INCREDIBLE!"

After another lap through town, I returned to the shop where the shopkeeper and the bus driver were waiting.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then." I said, parking the bike and getting my bag from the break room, "Thanks for everything."

"Don't mention it." The shopkeeper said handing me a brown envelope. It was my paycheck.

'Thanks so much!" I said, embracing the shopkeeper on the spot. The bus driver just watched me with a raised eyebrow.

"Anyways," the bus driver said folding his arms, "are you leaving already?"

"Yeah." I said, "I have a long trip ahead of me."

"Why don't you stay in town for a while?" The shopkeeper suggested. "It's almost midnight you know; the fireworks are gonna start soon."

"Fireworks huh…" I said looking up to the sea of stars, "I don't have a place to watch

"Anywhere by the coast is fine." The bus driver said, "We've got a barge coming in from the city full of fireworks. They're gonna launch 'em from there."

"But what about my trip?"

"Don't worry about it." The bus driver reassured, "I'll take you to the train station. I'm the only bus driver in town after all."

"I see…" I said, considering their proposal. Just then, I remembered a little nook where I had the perfect view of the sea. "Actually, I think I know a place."

"Well then get over there quickl!" The bus driver said, "I'll wait for you here, so don't worry."

"Gotcha!" I said, mounting the bike once more. With a smile on my face, I pedaled back to the only place I could think of going. I rode the bike up the mountain trail in a hurry, not wanting to miss the fireworks. Before long, there I was again at the premises of Ami Kawashima's villa. There, I saw a girl leaning on the deck watching the stars alone with a mug of cocoa in her hands. I've seen this sight before – it reminded me of something I had been meaning to say for so long.

"AMI-CHAN!" I hollered, getting off the bike and pulling it by my side

"Satoshi-kun!" Ami gasped, surprised to see me again, "Didn't you say you were…"

"Thank you." I said panting, "I came back to say thank you."

"I see." The girl said with a smile, "So what are you standing up out there for? Come on in, the fireworks are gonna start soon."

Smiling, I nodded back to the girl and parked the bike by the driveway. She opened the door for me and we headed out to the deck together. Before we could say anything though, the fireworks from the barge took to the sky and the sky flashed with numerous bright shapes and colors. We watched this spectacle in silence, happy and satisfied.

After a while, the fireworks display ended and the barge set sail for the city.

"I guess I'll have to be going now Ami-chan." I said heading out the door once more

"Yeah." Ami said understandingly, "Have a safe trip and… take care."

"I will, thanks."

With that, the two of us parted. I picked up my bike and started pedaling back down to down. As I rode faster and faster though, my heart seemed to race as well. Nah… can't be. Shaking my head, I just carried on my way. Returning to the convenience store, I saw the bus driver and the shopkeeper outside, leaning against the driver's bus. The shopkeeper helped me load the bike onto the bus and I climbed aboard the bus as well. Turning to me, the bus driver asked me with a smile on his face,

"So where to, little man?"

"Take me to my destiny, kind sir." I said jokingly, taking a seat just behind him

"Very well then." He said, closing the bus doors. Starting the engine, he removed the handbrake and the bus started rolling down the highway to the train station. Looking at the train ticket in my hand, I felt like I was moving forward again. This time though, I knew where I was going.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Happy New Year everyone!" Yui Hirasawa greeted a large crowd gathered at the concert hall. Loud cheers from the sea of their fans followed that greeting, "Thank you all for coming to celebrate New Year's eve with us tonight."

Her electric guitar hung loosely over her shoulder and beads of sweat lined her brow, sparkling under the light of the stage lights. She and the rest of Afternoon Tea Time had just finished performing a host of their songs, stopping only for a countdown to New Year's day, and their concert was coming to a close.

"Before we start our last song though, we have a special announcement." Yui said to the audience, "Riichan, would you mind explaining for me?"

"Thanks Yui." Ritsu said as she took the microphone from her, "Hey everyone! Thanks again for attending, but as Yui said, we've got a little something for you."

The crowd then settled down and listened intently.

"As you all know, my brother Satoshi ran away from home almost a week ago and everyone says he's already dead." Ritsu said determinedly, "But I don't believe he's dead, you hear me! Something deep inside me is telling me that he's out there and I will not rest until I've found him again. That's why… that's why starting this summer, Afternoon Tea Time is going on a nation-wide tour! If he's out there, then we're gonna find him, that's for sure!"

With that, the crowd cheered vigorously, empowering the band to pick up their instruments one more time. Ritsu returned the microphone to the stand and she paced back to her seat behind the drums.

"Alright then everyone," Yui said happily, "let's start this year right!"

Tapping her drumsticks together, Ritsu psyched the hall up for their last song. Looking up at the glass roof of the hall, she watched the fireworks bursting from outside with a smile.

"You're watching this same sky too Satoshi… I know you are."

The song started the members of Afternoon Tea Time played with strong passion. They had a mission to accomplish, and they would not back down until they've achieved it.

"We'll find you."

* * *

"BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!"* - Ami Kawashima's signature outburst of fury. Translates to 'STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!'


	16. Yuusaku, The Welcoming Friend

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 7**

**Prologue**

A trans-Japan passenger train moves through the snow-blanketed horizon at about a hundred kilometers per hour. Skies of clear blue accompanied that train and a river that had frozen up in the peak of winter was starting to flow alongside the railway once more. A large rail bridge stands proudly over that icy river too, linking the plain white snowfields to a quaint city starting to wake in the early hours of the day. A curve in the path then brings the train to turn and cross that bridge into town with a loud horn heralding it's approach.

"Ohashi Station, Ohashi Station." The PA system announced as the train gradually came to a stop. The train doors slid open and the slew of commuters trickled out of the train. Bringing my own things along, I followed in suit. This was going to be my new home; the start of my new beginning.

* * *

**At the train station**

"Satoshi!" A boy my age called out from the crowd, waving a hand to call my attention as he held on to a parked bicycle with the other. The round glasses resting on the bridge of his nose were quite familiar. I think I knew who this was.

"Yuusaku!" I called, returning his gesture. I then walked over to where he was with my things in tow. Looking at his bicycle though, I couldn't help but notice the obvious difference in quality between our bikes. "Whoa, that's a nice bike!

"I might say the same about yours." He said rubbing his chin with interest, "Vintage 1980's model?"

I wasn't sure whether or not to take that as a joke. Unlike my bike, his bike was relatively new and his handlebar padding was actual handlebar padding, not makeshift badminton racket grip-tape.

"It's an old bike," he then added laughing heartily, "but the maintenance work is amazing. Keeping a bike in that condition for five years, let alone twenty, is already impressive let me tell you."

"Oh, I see." I sighed in relief, "For a moment there, I thought you were making fun of me."

"Now why would I want to do that?" He said with a smile. "You're going to be living in my town after all, so I wouldn't want to start on the wrong foot."

Just as I remembered from our brief encounter in the concert for Haiti in my old town, he was the friendly and sociable type. The calmness and casualness in his tone made him easy to approach. I think we were going to get along alright. He then extended his hand to me and said,

"Anyways welcome to Ohashi; the town of the Great Bridge (which I think you crossed on your way here). The town's nothing like Osaka, but I think you'll like it just fine."

Giving him a nod of appreciation, I took his hand and shook it firmly.

"Thanks a lot, man."

"So," Yuusaku suggested happily, "what do you say to a game of softball?"

Eh? Softball? The only thing I knew about softball was that it descended from baseball somehow. I used to remember Francis talk about softball all the time though, but I mostly forgot everything he said about it anyways. He was quite the softball fan, I recalled, and his stories more often than not left me and Kouji bewildered by how little we knew about the game (though Kouji barely knows anything to begin with). Yuusaku saw my uneasiness at his mention of the game so he smiled and said,

"Don't worry, I'll teach you."

Before I could say anything else, he got on his bike, prompting me to do the same. We pedaled out to the exit then were on the way to a nearby ballpark. This was for the better, I guess. There's nothing wrong with trying something new.

* * *

I followed Yuusaku on bike through town that morning, Yuusaku making sure to stop every so often to show me some of the places he knew. He showed me through downtown, the bike path by the thawing river, the large rail bridge (which he seems to take much pride in) and even some construction site where a multi-story apartment building was being built.

It was going to be the tallest building in Ohashi, he said, and that most of the rooms were already bought up by wealthy patrons – most of which would have more money than I would ever make in a lifetime. Rather than being awestruck by the ridiculously high rent for even a meager studio apartment though, I was more worried about the fate of the two-story rent house that sat under the shadow of the apartment. Even though the frame of the building was still incomplete, the towering structure was already blocking most of the morning sunlight. I guess those poor folks'll have a hard time drying their clothes when it's done. They should consider moving.

Leaving the site of the tragedy waiting to happen, Yuusaku and I carried on through town and went up an elevated path lined with cherry blossoms starting to bud in the face of the dying winter. As soon as we reached the top, a large building complex greeted us. What was this place?

"It's Ohashi High." Yuusaku explained as we walked on, "This is where we'll be going for High School in April. The ballpark's just on the side."

"Ah, so if we… wait a second…" I stopped, remembering something all of the sudden

"Yeah?" Yuusaku asked, puzzled by the frightened look on my face

"S… school starts in April, right?" I stammered

"That's right." Yuusaku nodded, "We still have to get through 3rd term before we graduate in March."

March? I was going to graduate on January! I remember Ritsu and Azusa graduating sometime in January, but Yui-senpai, Mugi-senpai graduated in March… So that must mean… there's a chance I never really finished Middle School! Just my luck…

"Maybe your school runs on a different system." Yuusaku explained, "Australian schools have their graduation on January. Perhaps you went to an Australian school in Osaka?"

Just then, I recalled a number of things about my school that I found a little strange. First of all, most subjects were taught in English with the exception of Social Sciences and Japanese (duh!). There was a weird flag (probably the Australian one) flying alongside the Japanese flag at the flagpole area. Then, whenever most of my teachers talk amongst themselves in English, they say things like "g'day mate" and stuff… To top it all off, our school mascot was a Kangaroo for crying out loud… sheesh, I should pay more attention to my school!

"So you did finish Middle school." Yuusaku laughed, "You worry too much, you know that?"

"Still!" I complained, "I'd be in a lot of trouble if I didn't finish!"

"Well, think of it this way." Yuusaku consoled, "You have a three-month vacation before school starts."

"You're right." I sighed in relief. The two of us then carried on until we reached the ballpark at the side of the school. We parked our bikes nearby and brought the softball stuff Yuusaku had onto the field.

"So, Satoshi." He said handing me a softball glove, "All you have to do is catch the ball okay? Try to predict where the ball will go so you'll be ready to catch."

"What if I don't catch it?" I asked nervously

"Then you get hit. Simple as that." Yuusaku laughed, "Remember, just because it's called softball doesn't mean that the ball is soft. But don't let that bring you down!"

I think I would've felt better if he didn't mention that… Sadly, I wouldn't have any time to mope around.

"Okay then, think fast!"

"What!"

Almost instinctively, I braced myself and covered my face with the glove, not wanting to be nailed by the paradoxically hard softball. In a flash through, the ball landed smack in the middle of my glove and I caught it without too much trouble.

"Good catch Satoshi!" Yuusaku cheered, asking me to throw the ball back to him. For another forty minutes or so, we passed the ball back and forth until the action became like second-nature. Over time, my throws became stronger somewhat and my catches gradually became planned rather than impulsive jerks of the hand. When we had tired ourselves out, we took to the nearby benches to grab a breather.

"So," he said turning to me, "you stayed with Ami-chan for the past few days right?"

"Yeah." I nodded, opening my water bottle to have a drink.

"Was she doing alright when you were there?" He said, taking out a sports drink of his own and taking a gulp

"I guess so, yeah." I said, "She seemed to be healthy and hearty enough."

"Ah, that's good." He replied happily. He then adjusted his glasses calmly and asked, "Tell me something though Satoshi, what do you think of Ami?"

"What can I say?" I asked half-complaining, "She's pretty and kind and talented and... gah, why are you asking me this? Isn't she your girlfriend!"

"Girlfriend? Gosh no." he laughed, "She was my neighbor when we were kids, so we're childhood friends more or less. We both grew up here in Ohashi till she and her family moved to Tokyo for their careers. She does like to flirt-tease, i'll tell you that, but we're not like that.."

I kinda noticed that actually...

"She CAN get scary sometimes though." I noted, "A little snobby too, but it's not too bad."

"Ah, you saw that side of her too. That's good." Yuusaku said with a smile. That's good? What did he mean by that? Before I could ask him though, he stood up with the softball in hand again and said, "Anyways, ready for another round?"

"Sure."

I got off from the bench and the two of us started passing the ball around again. I had just caught the ball when the sound of distant footsteps plowing through the snow reached my ears. A voice of mixed surprise and excitement quickly followed it crying,

"AH, PEOPLE!"

Curious, Yuusaku and I turned to the source of the ecstatic voice to see a girl with short hair jogging over to where we were. Even from afar, the cheerfulness in her eyes was clear to see and an air of energy was about her. She then called out to us and said,

"Do you mind if i join you two?"

"Ah, sure thing." Yuusaku said immediately, "The more, the merrier. Is this alright with you Satoshi?"

"Yeah, why not." I said

"Alright then!" The girl said with a wide grin, "The name's Minori Kusheida, and you two are?"

"Yuusaku Kitamura." Yuusaku said shaking the girl's hand, "Nice to meet you."

"Hey there," I said extending my hand to her as well, "I'm Satoshi..."

Oh shoot, I was just about to tell her my real name. The girl tilted her head puzzled, wondering why I stopped all of the sudden.

"Satoshi...?" she hummed, trying to figure out the rest of my name.

"Satoshi..." I continued hesitantly, "Satoshi Tanaka, that's right."

"Ah, well nice to meet you Tanaka-kun." She said shaking my hand anyways, "I hope I didn't psyche you out or anything, hehe. I've just really been itching to play some ball, so I guess I got over-excited."

"Is that so?" Yuusaku asked interestedly, "You're a softball player then."

"Yup!" She said excitedly, "I played in Middle School varsity, and hopefully, I'll make it to the Ohashi High varsity team too."

"Ohashi High, huh?" Yuusaku continued, "So that means the three of us will be going to the same school!"

"Oh, what a coincidence!" Minori smiled, "Future classmates then! That'll make this game even more interesting!"

"But I'm only a beginner." I warned, "This guy here just taught me how to catch the ball just now... I don't know anything else."

"Well then, I'll teach you how to hit the ball then!" Minori offered energetically, "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Yuusaku then quickly handed me the bat and before I knew it, our game was about to begin.

"The next batter for Ohashi High," Yuusaku said, "We have the freshman Satoshi Tanaka! This is his first time on the plate so all eyes are on him today!"

He was mimicking a sports commentator as he stood out in the distance, using his catcher's glove as a sort of amplifier. Minori playing the pitcher, though she was technically my enemy in that sort of setup was cheering for me as well, chanting 'Sa-to-shi! Sa-to-shi!' in the same way someone like Yui-senpai would. It was a little embarrassing, but I knew they were trying to encourage me. Tapping the bat on the ground, I prepared to strike.

"Keep your eyes on the ball Satoshi, and stay calm." Minori said as she positioned herself to throw, "Believe you can hit the ball, don't ever think about missing."

She then tossed the ball and cried,

"Now give it everything you've got!"

Here goes! Feeling my heart beat faster and faster, my grip on the bat grew tighter and I swung at the ball with all of my might. I somehow managed to hit the ball and the ball went flying out of the park.

"HOME RUN!" Yuusaku and Minori cheered at the same time, the both of them running to me with high-fives. The three of us laughed heartily as we retrieved the ball at the far end of the park. We then came back and played a few more rounds together, each of us having a turn to bat. At the end of the game, they brought me to a popular family restaurant in town and we had a quick lunch together, already planning yet another game in the near future.

It was a strange feeling, having the time of your life with complete strangers but after such an exhilarating game, we were quick to warm up to each other. In a ballpark surrounded by snow, the three strangers from different walks of life slowly became inseparable friends. Coming into a whole new town like this, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Indeed, the winter was giving way to spring. This future, the future I made with my own hands, was starting to look bright once again.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Epilogue**

A young man stands on the veranda of a two-story rent house with a hamper full of freshly-washed clothes at his side. Picking up the clothes one by one, he diligently pins each one onto a hanging clothesline under the sunlight. Just then, another I-beam was erected onto the frame of the apartment building that was being built next door, blocking yet another patch of sunlight from the previously unhindered laundry line.

"DARN THIS APARTMENT!" He muttered angrily, doing his best not to express his fury out loud, "PRETTY SOON, WE'LL HAVE A MOLD INFESTATION IN HERE!"

Pinning up what laundry he had left, the man turned around and retreated back into the rent house.

"At this rate," he thought, "my school clothes... my mom's work clothes... they'll take a longer time to dry. My Middle School graduation's coming up too..."

Looking out to the frame of the apartment, he simply sighed in defeat.

"I guess I'll have to wake up earlier then..."


	17. Minori, The Hard Worker

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 8**

**Prologue**

Yuusaku Kitamura's parents sat before Satoshi Tainaka at the dining room of the Kitamura household with serious looks on their faces. Yuusaku was there too, sitting at the other end of the table and watching the whole scene unfold. The parents kept talking hours after the last of the dishes had been set aside, getting to know him, hearing his stories, but most importantly, wondering if he really wanted to stay in Ohashi.

"I've made up my mind, Mr. and Mrs. Kitamura." The young man who had run away from home nearly two weeks ago said determinedly, "I chose this path, and I'm not going to back down."

Such firm words made the parents a little worried. It wasn't because they didn't want to help the runaway youth, nor was it because they lacked sympathy for him - in fact, they wanted to help him as much as they could. The problem was that they would be housing an illegal tenant in a non-renting household, and they would be risking a brush with the law. Twice. The young man however expected this and already had a solution in mind.

"I won't stay for long though." Satoshi continued, "As soon as I find work, I'm going to register as a resident of Ohashi, find a nice cheap apartment and I'll move out, plain and simple. I want to be self-sufficient, you see. I would appreciate your help, but I don't want to be too much of a burden."

"Resident registration shouldn't be too hard, but what about school? You're entering first year high school right?" Mr. Kitamura asked

"Yes sir. In April." Satoshi replied, "I'm going to Ohashi High... it's a public school, right Yuusaku?"

"Yeah." Yuusaku said with a nod, "That means you won't have to pay tuition or anything."

"Is that so..." Mr. Kitamura said in thought, scratching his face as he thought about the young man's proposal, "Well then, I guess we're fine with that. Welcome to our house Satoshi-kun."

Satoshi then stood up from his chair and gave the family the deepest bow he could muster,

"Thank you very much! I'll be in your care."

* * *

**The Next Day**

"Congratulations Satoshi-kun!" Minori said energetically as she, Yuusaku and I were at the Johnny's family restaurant (the only one of it's kind, and the only restaurant I knew in the quaint town) yet again. She then turned over to Yuusaku with a smile. "Kitamura-kun, it was nice of you to let Satoshi-kun stay with you."

"Well, technically, it was my parents who let him stay." Yuusaku chuckled, "But if i were in their shoes, I would've done the same."

"Thanks guys," I smiled, "I appreciate your support."

"No problem," Minori said cheerfully, "oh, my order is here."

Just then, one of the waitresses came with a tray topped with three extra-large parfaits and a troika of spoons. She then served the parfaits before us and bowed before leaving, Minori observing each and every action she made. Once she was gone, Minori rubbed her chin as if she had just learned something.

She then cheerfully dug into the parfait she ordered with a spoon and asked, "So tell me something Satoshi-kun, you mentioned something about wanting to be self-sufficient right?"

"And about finding a job too, yeah." I added. I knew all too well that I wouldn't have a chance of being self-sufficient without a proper job.

"Right," Minori grinned happily, "well let me tell you, friend, that you are about to embark on a journey to success and happiness!"

Eh? Success and happiness? Over the past few days, I had already gotten used to Minori Kusheida's over-the-top energy, boundless cheerfulness and slight eccentricities but her excitement here took the cake.

"Satoshi-kun," Minori asked passionately, "have you ever heard about the 'Mysterious Files of Labor?"

"Mysterious Files of Labor..." I repeated, trying to think, "nah... I don't know what that is."

"You don't know what that the Files are, Satoshi?" Yuusaku asked, "It's quite famous in these parts... though, you haven't been here long come to think of it."

"Uhm... so what is this file thing anyways?" I asked

"Files," Minori corrected meticulously with a raised pointer finger, noting even the slightest mistake (sheesh...) "Anyways, the Files are a sort of uhm... doctrine, so to speak."

"The Files are more or less a lifestyle," Yuusaku added with zeal, "a way to live life."

"Okay..." I said, noting the buildup of emotion. Seeing the doubting look on my face, the two of them laughed and continued.

"The Mysterious Files of Labor pertains to work or labor that revitalizes you." Yuusaku then explained, "Think of it as a 'Labor of Love' of sorts - doing something you like that uplifts your soul while you do it."

"In short." Minori said conclusively, "It is the creation of your own happiness through the work of your own two hands! Isn't that cool?"

"Happiness made by my own two hands..." I said reminiscently, remembering the drumsticks Francis had given me before he left for Canada, "Taking hold of your life to achieve happiness."

"Ah, you're getting the gist of it now." Yuusaku said with a smile, "It's a simple concept, but the meaning is inherently deep. That's the beauty of it!"

"DEEEEEEEEP~! *glug glug glug glug*" Minori added, waving her arms about and acting as if she were drowning. She's really into this, huh?

"So, the two of you are taking jobs right now?" I asked. Yuusaku shook his head apologetically, saying that he was too busy with other activities. Minori however grinned, even giving me an enthusiastic thumbs up. "You have a job Kusheida-san?"

"Yup." She smiled, "Guess where."

"Erm... I don't really know most of the places around here."

"Ah, right." She said sticking out her tongue, "Right here in Johnny's restaurant! I got accepted last week!"

"What?" I gasped, nearly dropping my spoon

"Oh really? That's great." Yuusaku congratulated calmly. Minori then handed me a menu and whispered,

"Notice how that particular parfait I ordered for you boys isn't on the menu."

She inched closer to our ears and said proudly

"It's the Minori special! Extra fruits, extra ice cream, extra syrup! Moruse... chou mourse*!"

"You get your own special dessert?" I asked amazed, "Awesome!"

"Isn't it?" She grinned, "It's a nice perk, but what I really like about it here is the chance to meet new people and to share stories and whatnot. The other employees are really helpful and nice too. That's where the Files concept trickles in."

"I see, I see." I said in thought, finally grasping what the Files were about. "Hey, Kusheida-san... if it isn't too much trouble, would you mind helping me get a job too?"

"Ah, we have a believer!" Minori cheered, high-fiving Yuusaku and I, "I'd be more than happy to help out a new friend! Or should I say 'comrade-in-labor'."

"That's a good plan Satoshi-kun." Yuusaku added, "Our third term in Middle School starts tomorrow. A job or two would keep you busy while we're still in school."

"That's what I thought too." I smiled confidently, "So when do we talk business, Kusheida-san?"

"Meet me after school tomorrow comrade Tanaka." Minori said, already using the title she had just made up moments ago, "I had an job interview scheduled tomorrow at the Super Kanoya supermarket."

"Alright then." I said standing up to shake her hand, "It's a deal comrade Kusheida."

She shook my hand firmly, nodding her head in utter agreement.

"I wish you two luck." Yuusaku said, raising his parfait glass, "Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

* * *

**The Day After That**

"Hmm... is this the right place?" I asked myself as I reached the entrance of a school similar to my old one. Taking out a map of Ohashi that Yuusaku had drafted for me a few days ago, I traced back my path from the Kitamura household until I reached a spot labeled 'Kusheida no gakou' - Minori's school. This was the right place. Taking my bike to the bike park, I ran into Minori who was with a group of other people coming from their school's field, some of which were still wearing softball gear - the varsity team perhaps.

"Ah, Satoshi-kun!" she said as soon as she noticed me there, "Sorry guys, I'll go on ahead."

"See you later captain!" Replied her companions as they carried on back to the school building

"Kusheida-san," I said noting her dirty clothes, probably from playing softball again "Did I come at a bad time?"

"Oh, right!" She said in shock, "I have to go change!"

She's a bit of a klutz huh...

"Go ahead, I'll wait out here."

"Alright then, thanks." She smiled as she ran back inside to change. It reminded me of the time when Yui-senpai forgot to change out of her concert clothes after a performance when they went to our house way back then. She didn't realize that she was still wearing the frilly shirt and blouse under her winter jacket. Her first reaction too was that her little sister Ui would be mad at her for not changing immediately after the show. Still brings a smile to my face till now. A few minutes later, Minori returned in a fresh change of clothes and was ready to go.

"By the way," she said mischievously, "I snagged this from the guidance counselor's office on my way out."

She then handed me a set of papers happily and said,

"Ta-dah! I got you some application forms for Ohashi High!"

"Oh, nice." I said, skimming through the papers, "You even got me a scholarship form."

"Yup!" Minori said, "I only saw it recently, but Ohashi High gives out scholarships to working students! 50,000 kinsu a a semester, meaning 150,000 kinsu a year! It's like an extra paycheck!"

"Really?" I gasped, "Whoa... That's awesome!"

"It's the least I could do for a comrade-in-labor!" She grinned

With that much money, I'd be able to get a drumset with everything on it and still have some money to spare! Though... I should probably think about finding that apartment I can pay for before getting a drum set. I wouldn't want to be drumming on the streets after all.

"So, let's go Satoshi-kun. We still have an interview to catch."

"Right. Want a ride?"

"Sure, why not. We'll get there faster."

The two of us then got my bike and headed out for Super Kanoya. We got there a few minutes early and met with the elderly manager for the interview. Apparently, Minori had gotten the interview slot after being recommended by her employers to the supermarket owner who said that her work ethic was exceptional and consistently so. Using that recommendation, she asked the manager if they had a job opening for me too. The manager kindly said that they did, since most of the holiday-only workers, which made up most of the staff, needed to be replaced. Since I was willing to go full-time, he was willing to give me a shot. We were hired on probation so that he could see what we were capable, then were immediately put to work.

"Whoa... Kusheida-san, that was amazing!" I said as she and I put on the supermarket's uniform apron, remembering everything the manager said about her during the interview "You work at Johnny's until midnight?"

"Yeah, but that's because they were terribly understaffed." Minori said finishing up, "Now that the holidays are over, the more regular waitresses are back on the job, so I'll probably work less hours. I might even get the weekends and Wednesday-Thursday off if I wanted."

"Still, that's crazy." I said, "You're doing that, starting school again and now you're getting a job at the supermarket. Won't you get worn out?"

"It's the Files, Satoshi-kun." She reminded in a gruff voice, mimicking that of a detective, "I'm happy when I work, so I like to work. Tell you the truth, I get more tired when I'm not doing anything at all."

"Workaholic then..."

"More or less, but the pay's good." She grinned, "Anyways, time to roll up your sleeves my friend. We have a whole day of work ahead of us."

"Alright." I said, "Let's do this."

Bursting out of the changing room with confidence, the two of us presented ourselves to the store manager posthaste. For the next two hours, every order the old man gave us, we did with smiles on our faces and wings on our feet. Having everything he wanted done with such zeal, the manager was happy and the other employees were impressed (or maybe even jealous to some degree). Break time came soon enough, and much appreciation came to greet us at the break room.

"You two work well together." The manager said, "I was a little skeptical about the news about you Kusheida-san, but I saw it for myself and wow... that's all I can say. Your friend too... uh... what was your name again young man?"

"Satoshi Tanaka." I reminded

"Ah, Tanaka-san, yes of course." The manager continued, "I never heard about you before, but you're a pretty good worker yourself!"

"Y... yeah." I said hesitantly, "Thanks for that sir."

"So Kusheida-san, Tanaka-san, what schedules would you two have in mind?" He asked cheerfully

"Weekdays, 4 to 8 PM." Minori said thoughtfully, "Then... Saturday 10AM to 4PM."

"Sounds good, sounds good." The manager said, writing Minori's hours on the payroll sheet, "And what about you young man?"

"Well... uh, I never really thought about hours before." I fidgeted a bit, "What about... 10AM to 4PM Monday to Saturday until April."

"Working at 10AM on weekdays?" The manager asked, unable to believe what he had just heard, "Don't you have school?"

Looking at each other, Minori and I then dutifully told the elderly manager about my situation; the modified version of course. The manager listened to the story intently, nodding as we told him detail after detail and he then added me onto the payroll as well. Congratulating us one more time, he left the break room leaving me and Minori alone.

"And we have achieved an overwhelming victory comrade Tanaka!" She said in an enthusiastic voice, "You finally got your first job! You were pretty good too, are you a natural supermarket worker?"

"I just gave it my all." I said laughing dryly, not wanting to tell her that I've already done that kind of work in a convenience store before.

"Ah, there is potential in this one." Minori said, now acting like a sage, "Well let me tell you that you have taken your first step in your journey and you have taken it with HONOR! Kanpai*!"

"Ous~ Thanks for that." I said, raising a fist in acknowledgement. The two of us then made some instant noodles for ourselves then headed on home. Hopping onto my bike, I gave Minori a ride to Johnny's restaurant so that she could catch her shift. I dropped her off then was about to head out when she stopped me for a while.

"You know Satoshi-kun, with that kind of attitude, you'll be able to reach your goals someday... whatever your goal is."

"What was that?" I asked, not hearing everything she said

"N... nothing really." She said scratching her head, "Just saying goodbye."

"Right." I said with a nod, "Bye Kusheida-san. See ya later."

Getting back on my bike, I rode off as Minori waved goodbye.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Hey girls." A mature, good-looking lady said as she entered the band room of Sakura-gakou, "I heard about what happened to Tainaka-san's brother and... what are you girls doing?"

Contrary to the gloomy air she had expected coming in, she saw the five girls sitting around their table with numerous papers and even a map of Japan spread out there. A sole marker was pinned onto Osaka and the girls were deciding on where to put the rest.

"Ah, Sawa-chan is here!" Yui said, dropping the pins on the table as she rose to greet the lady, "Oops, ahehehe."

"What's going on?" The lady, Sawako Yamanaka asked again, "I haven't seen you guys this productively busy since... never."

"We're planning our tour." Ritsu then explained, picking up the pins Yui dropped carefully, "I'm sure you read the papers already. Satoshi-kun isn't dead, so we're going out to look for him."

"So I heard." Sawako said with a smile, "The let me join in on the planning then, I'm your instructor after all."

She then pulled up a chair and sat with them at the table. Under the folds of her jacket though, she held on to a sheet of paper a little remorsefully.

"I'm their instructor..." she thought to herself, "for a little while longer, at least..."

* * *

"Moruse... chou, moruse!" - one of Minori Kusheida's many, many memorable quotes. Literally means 'More... MUCH MORE!'

Kanpai - a sort of cheer for celebration

Author's Notes: This chapter was supposed to be a bigger chapter, 6000+ words or so. Rather than stuff it all together in a big package, I cut it up into two parts. More parts means more space to develop the story - crossovers are tough work since they're two established franchises already. There's a lot of things I have in store for this story so bear with me for the long update times! Thanks for following!


	18. An Invitation

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 9**

Nearly two months have passed since I landed my job at Super Kanoya, and with spring finally in full swing, things for me have never been better. With my job at the supermarket and the working student scholarship Minori and I applied for, I finally had enough money for an unfurnished apartment. A futon and a fridge would probably be the only things I would need... so I guess I could manage that. Also, in a couple of weeks, I would be attending Ohashi High with my two new friends and I was really excited. Back when I still lived with Ritsu in Osaka, I would always rely on them for everything. Now, I was self-sufficient... if only they could see me now, though that'd be impossible at this point.

However, I still felt that lingering wisp of emptiness within my chest. It wasn't like I was lacking an internal organ or whatnot... I just felt like there was something missing in this life I had made for myself. Try as I might, I couldn't get myself to figure out what it was. One fateful Saturday though, it would come back to me as clear as day.

March 9th, 9:57 AM. Saturday. Minori, the manager, the weekend employees and I were huddled around in a circle at the break room of Super Kanoya. We had three minutes before opening time but this Saturday was unlike every other Saturday we had encountered. This Saturday, Super Kanoya was holding a canned good sale - an 80% sale, and the crowd turnout was overwhelming.

"We are at war, ladies and gentlemen." Minori said acting like a general, biting a Pocky* stick like a cigar "The shopper is your enemy and they are here for our canned tuna... there is nothing we can do to stop them, but that doesn't mean we're not going to make them pay!"

Though she was trying to psyche us up, the reference was a little... graphic, but it seemed appropriate enough. Whatever floats her boat, I figured.

"Our mission then is to sell every last canned good we have!" Minori continued, chomping up the stick aggressively "Are you with me?"

The break room then exploded with cheer, putting a smile on Minori and the manager's face. The clock then struck 10AM and the employees of Super Kanoya marched out of the break room to tackle the impending invasion.

"Satoshi-kun, you're with me." Minori said, leading me to the express counter. "Just remember, we have to be fast on this lane."

"I know that." I replied, "That's why it's called the express lane after all."

"Yup." Minori nodded, "You man the register, I'll do the bags, okay?"

"Sure thing."

"So," Minori said counting the paper bags anticipatively, "let's give these shoppers a show, shall we?"

"Of course!"

Minori and I then got behind the counter, wearing the widest smiles we could muster. Then, the clock struck ten, the sliding glass doors slid open and the torrents of people flooded the supermarket. The thunderous stampede headed for the canned good section struck fear into some of the employees, but Minori and I stayed calm. Before long, the customers got what they came for then scoured the rest of the supermarket before charging towards the checkout counters. It was time for us to make our stand.

The frantic tapping of keyboards, the chime of cash registers busting open, the repetitive beeping of machines and the occasional PA system promotion. All of these sounds filled the once silent, semi-peaceful supermarket and the place was alive. In the midst of that medley of sounds, that phantom that had been nibbling at me finally revealed itself. I was tapping the keys of the register keyboards when an insatiable urge formed in the back of my head... a drum beat.

It started with a customer buying a single tin; tap, ching, '19.95 kinsu'. Then, two tins; tap-tap, ching, '39.90 kinsu'. Then, three tins; ta-pa-tap, ching, uh... darn, I never really was good in math. Anyways, before I realized it, I was tapping the keyboard with an intoxicating rhythm and I couldn't stop. Minori stole glances at me from where she stood as the rhythm became more and more noticeable.

"You're energetic today." She noted with a smile, "Was that a four-beat?"

"Yeah. But there's more." I replied, tapping on the keys faster now, "Eight-beat!"

"Awesome!" Minori said in awe, "Guess I'll have to put some energy into it too.!

With that newfound energy, Minori thanked each and every customer as she handed them their groceries and the two of us worked noticeably faster. Soon enough, the seemingly endless wave of people dried up along with our supply of surplus canned goods. The last of the cans were sold and and the cheers replaced the erratic sounds of the sale madness. We had weathered the storm after all and were still in one piece - though one or two of our fellow employees had to take a break in the middle of it all. Our shift however wasn't over just yet. As we celebrated the achievement we had thought impossible, another customer, a lady, came to the express counter with a single item. Not paying much attention to her, I just tapped a button once then transferred her over to Minori without another word.

"Uhm... excuse me." She corrected, "I'm buying pudding, not corned beef."

"Uh... ah... argh!" I groaned, quickly tapping a number of keys to correct the transaction, "Sorry about that, I got carried away."

"You and your partner were having fun." She smiled, "Don't worry, it's all good."

"Oh, I see." I said, finally getting the transaction right, "There you go ma'am, one pudding. Uhm... 14.45 kinsu."

"Here." She said, handing me exact change (faster than I ever thought possible), "So tell me young man, are you a drummer by any chance?"

"Me?" I asked, pointing to myself, "I guess you could call me one... I'm just an amateur though."

"I don't think that's the case." She said shaking her head, "The way you moved, the complexity of your rhythm... you give off the aura of a drummer."

Ergh... I remember my sister telling me that Yui-senpai said that same thing about her. Coming from Yui-senpai though, it meant she thought she was impatient and restless... are all drummers really like that?

"Tell you what young man." The lady offered, "I'm a hostess at Vaisravana's Heaven - a nightclub-slash-karaoke bar. We're looking for a drummer for our jazz band and... you're more than welcome to try out."

"B... band." I repeated almost as if entranced by the word, "Y... y... you mean, a live performance band... band?"

"Eh... I don't think I follow." She laughed amused

"I mean, a band that performs live." I clarified, "A band that plays before an audience... that plays and practices together... that..."

"Yes." She said with a smile, "That kind of band. So come on down anytime you feel like trying out, okay?"

"I'd be happy to!" I said, graciously accepting the offer.

"We're open after nine." The lady said as she left, "And if your friend here can play an instrument, you can bring her along too."

"W... would you like me to put the spoon in the bag?" Minori stuttered in the face of the offer, shakily throwing the pudding into the paper bag

"Ah, that'd be great. Thanks. The name's Mirano by the way - tell the bouncer you're trying out when you come."

The lady then walked out with the bag, leaving Minori and I at a loss for words.

"What just happened Satoshi-kun?" Minori asked, still shocked by the ordeal

"We just got offered a job..." I said, unable to believe what had just happened. My heart skipped a beat as soon as it slowly sank in. This was a chance to realize my childhood dream - I wanted to be a bandsman. Minori however seemed less than excited.

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

Pocky - biscuit stick snack usually covered in chocolate**  
**


	19. Mirano's Heaven

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 10**

"Uhm… Satoshi-kun," Minori said, shivering as we approached Vaisravana's Heaven, "are you really sure you want to do this? I… I mean, as a follower of the Mysterious Files, I'm glad we were offered jobs, but this is just a little… sketchy, ahehehe."

"Aww, come on. Of course I want to do this." I said confidently, "It's not like you to be fidgeting around like that."

"That's right." Yuusaku added, "Satoshi and I have been to places like this before Kusheida, they're not as scary as you might think."

'You two have been to nightclubs before!" Minori gasped, unable to believe what she just heard

"No, no. Not nightclubs – they'd never let us in. We've been to concert halls… or live houses as some might call it." Yuusaku clarified, "Back in Osaka, we watched Afternoon…"

"We watched a band at a concert hall there one afternoon." I interrupted, subtly shaking my head

"Oh, right." Yuusaku said, "Yeah, we watched one afternoon… and it was fun. Vaisravana's heaven is a live-karaoke bar. I'm guessing it's somewhat the same, so I wanted to check it out for myself too."

"Are you sure about that?" Minori continued, "I mean, look at all this – the bright neon lights, the thick fog, the suspicious looking people… this place could be haunted for all we know…"

"The fog ain't that thick… and there's no way this place could be haunted." I argued, "You just haven't been here before, I'm guessing. It's the atmosphere Kusheida-san, you just have to get used to it."

"F… fine, I guess you're right." Minori said, finally willing to give it a try, "Let's go guys."

The three of us then walked up to the entrance where a large, bulky bouncer stood guard. He turned to us from where he stood, his arms folded and his brow crumpled in confusion.

"And what would you kids be doing here?" He asked, "In case you didn't know, this is a place for adults."

"Ah, excuse us sir." I said, showing him my drumsticks, "A lady named Mirano told me you guys were looking for a drummer – I want to try out."

"So you're the kids Mirano was walking about huh." The bouncer said, stepping aside to let me though, "Well then come on in… but who would these two be?"

"They're my friends." I introduced, "They're coming with me."

"Letting a fifteen year old into a nightclub is already a little strange kid," the bouncer said, "let alone letting in three…"

"Oh, you guys came!" A voice then said, joining us at the entrance

"Mirano." The bouncer acknowledged, "These kids are…"

"Please let them in." Mirano said with a smile, "Don't worry – if the boss gets mad, I'll answer to him."

"Alright then." The bouncer sighed, finally letting Minori and Yuusaku in, "I guess you can stay in the band room, but the bar is off-limits. Snag some drinks from the bar, and I'm calling the cops, y'hear?"

"Yeah." The three of us said, promising not to enter the bar. Mirano then led us to the band room. As soon as we were inside, the 1940's New Yorker atmosphere was amplified – vintage portraits, classic western architecture and the sounds of a big brass band playing with their popular vigor.

"Whoa… amazing…" I gasped, seeing this unbelievable atmosphere for the first time. I wonder if they had these things in Canada too… They probably do.

"Before anything else though," Mirano said cheerfully, "I don't think I got any of your names."

Oh right… we never really introduced ourselves. The three of us introduced ourselves and Mirano was quick to remember our names. Then came the all-important question,

"If Satoshi-kun here plays drums, what instruments do you two play?"

"Aside from the recorder, nothing much really." Yuusaku said plainly, "We had to learn it for music class in elementary, but I haven't touched it since."

"Same." Minori said, "I played the shamisen once for a cultural festival last Fall though."

"The shamisen…" Mirano repeated, "I don't think you'll be able to play that in a jazz band… but a bass guitar would be close."

"A bass guitar?" Minori asked

"Yeah." Mirano nodded, "Just think of it as a shamisen with frets and lower notes. Oh, and don't forget a fourth string!"

Minori turned to her side as if considering trying but then hesitantly refused.

"Fourth string? Hmm… N… nah, not now."

"Is that so…" Mirano probed

"I'll think about it though." Minori reassured, "It sounds interesting."

"Good. Anyways, we're here." Mirano said as we approached another room, "I'll let you meet the band."

She then opened a door where the large band and their myriad of instruments sat. The bandsmen were mostly talking amongst themselves or cleaning or practicing with their instruments when we came but they slowly turned their attention to the four of us.

"So everyone." Mirano said, pushing me gently forward, "Here's Satoshi Tanaka, the young man who wants to try out for drums."

"Nice to meet you." They said sporadically yet warmly, seemingly not bothered by a troika of teenagers standing nervously in the heart of a high-end, 40's style nightclub-slash-karaoke bar. Weren't they even a little bit bothered?

"Musicians will always respect other musicians to some degree." Mirano explained, "Factor in that respect, age won't matter to them as much as talent."

"Camaraderie." Minori commented as if she just realized something, "So musicians have their own code too huh…Who would've known?"

"So," I said holding on to my drumsticks tighter, "I guess I'm going to have to prove myself."

"You could say that." Mirano said, "So show us what you've got."

Walking over to the drum set at the corner of the room, everyone in the room had their eyes on me. Mirano and the other musicians watched observantly, eyeing my every move expectantly. Yuusaku and Minori however watched supportively, giving me nods of encouragement. I could do this.

I sat before the drum set with the sticks in hand, gently tapping each drum, striking on each cymbal once or twice then giving the bass pedal a few stomps. The familiar sounds brought a smile to my face and the energy building up in my heart was indescribable. Turning to my eagerly waiting crowd, I started playing a simple, slow beat that grew faster and more complex as time passed. The musicians looked at each other as they listened, nodding their heads every now and then.

"This kid's pretty good." A gruff musician with an ornately decorated bass guitar* said, setting aside the mug of beer he just downed, "I'd want to hear him play with others though – that'll show us what he's really made of."

"I'd have to agree," a kindlier musician with a plain Stratocaster guitar* added, "Mirano-chan, you think he's up for a song?"

"Good idea Shoichi-kun, Eiji-san." Mirano said turning to me, "What do you say young man? Care to join us in a song?"

"I'd be happy to." I said with, "But if you don't mind, could I hear the bassline of the song?"

"But of course," the gruff man said picking up his bass and putting on the strap. He then proceeded to explain each part of the song as he played – the intro, the bridges, the progressions, everything. When he was done, he asked me if I was ready. Giving him a nod, the entire band took to their instruments and a number of backup singers stood behind Mirano and a microphone. Minori and Yuusaku gave us the strongest applause they could and the song began with a strong brass section phrase and the lively chanting of the hostess and her singers.

* * *

**Mirano Tengoku/Mirano's Heaven**

**Musicians: The Vaisravana's Heaven Pit Band (Various), Mirano (Vo), Satoshi Tainaka (Dr)**

Disclaimer: This is a personal interpretation of the song, and I therefore do not own this song. Thanks and credit to the Music Director of Toradora - Yukari Hashimoto.

* * *

"_Wrapped in bright neon lights,_

_It's where angels stay for the night,_

_Come on, I'll be your guide,_

_Take, my, hand."_

"_Don't you fidget around,_

_Get lost in all the sounds,_

_Being sad here, it ain't allowed_

_Mirano will wipe off that frown!"_

…

_**Bridge 1**_

"_Here in the bitter pitch-black darkness,_

_Shining out ever so brightly,_

_My heaven will make all your_

_Pain and woes just melt away!"_

…

_**Chorus:**_

"_So all of you sad sober souls,_

_Missing the thrills of the light,_

_Come on and open your eyes,_

_Here we will make it all right!_

_We'll pass the bottle till midnight!"_

"_Come on, and have a glass,_

_We'll have a good one taking in the good times!_

_My glass is always full,_

_So I raise it up to you to make you all smile"._

"_I have the spirits that I know that you'll like,_

_The fun times here always flow here like gold,_

_Mirano's heaven won't close,_

_Not for tonight."_

…

Mirano and her singers then proceeded to their Sinatra-like chant as the bassist and the band played on with positively intrigued faces. The beat that had come to mind was coming to me as if it was second nature. Smashing on the cymbals in tandem with the trumpets, the song continued.

…

"_Neon lights guide the way_

_To that magical place_

_Where skies are never gray_

_Follow me."_

"_Sighs of these broken hearts_

_Pained by the world's cruel love,_

_These troubled, hindered feelings,_

_We'll help you forget them tonight!"_

…

_**Bridge 2**_

"_Even if the sun just won't shine,_

_The skies will sparkle in our white wine,,_

_A glass or two will make it seem just as bright as day!"_

…

"_Here all your spirits will rise,_

_Silence the quiet demise,_

_Come on and open your eyes_

_Sink with the olives and ice!_

_We'll pass the bottle till midnight!"_

"_Cheers! Coat the night in tonic,_

_It's better when you take your life straight up,_

_My glass will overflow_

_We'll drink the night away until close-time."_

"_I have the spirits that I know that you'll like,_

_Even for a moment, we'll feel alive!_

_Mirano's heaven won't close,_

_Not for tonight."_

…

The young guitarist then stepped up his playing alongside the bassist, bringing the three of us to the lead of the instrumental. He played rapid riffs that wouldn't be a stranger in a modern pop song, but it fit strangely well with everyone else's parts. The bassist grinned, quite happy that I was able to keep up with their improvisations. The guitarist struck a high note and the final stretch started with a series of brass hits and drum bridge phrases.

…

_**Bridge 1**_

"_Here in the bitter pitch-black darkness,_

_Shining out ever so brightly,_

_My heaven will make all your_

_Pain and woes just melt away!"_

…

_**Chorus:**_

"_So all of you sad sober souls,_

_Missing the thrills of the light,_

_Come on and open your eyes,_

_Here we will make it all right!_

_We'll pass the bottle till midnight!"_

"_Come on, and have a glass,_

_We'll have a good one taking in the good times!_

_My glass is always full,_

_So I raise it up to you to make you all smile"._

"_I have the spirits that I know that you'll like,_

_The fun times here always flow here like gold,_

_Mirano's heaven won't close,_

_Not for tonight."_

…

* * *

The song then ended, greeted by tremendous applause from not only Yuusaku and Minori, but a number of the other guests and employees who stumbled into the band room to find out what was going on. The manager and even the doubting bouncer was there, in awe at what they had just saw and heard. Mirano then explained the situation to her boss who then asked me if I would be a regular bandsman. He said he'd pay me a hefty talent fee, just like the other musicians, but I opted for minimum wage. The crowd cheered for me once more before finally dissipating back to what they were doing before the song. The performance however was now the topic in their conversations.

"That was incredible Satoshi!" Yuusaku congratulated, "You just listened to that bass player once then you got the song spot on!"

"Well, the bass and the drums are really dependent on each other." I explained, "The drummer follows the bassist's progressions most of the time and vice versa."

"Just like the shamisen and the taiko." Minori said in realization, "Still, you're an incredible drummer Satoshi-kun..."

"Yeah..." I said humbly, "I've been playing the drums..."

"I'm sure that if she saw you now," Minori interrupted in a solemn voice, "she'd be proud of you."

"Eh?" I asked, not sure what she was talking about, "Who are you talking about?"

"Ritsu. Ritsu Tainaka." Minori said plainly, "Your sister."

"Ritsu..." I repeated in shock, "what... I don't..."

Minori then fished out a crumpled magazine from her bag featuring a beautiful girl on the cover - the same magazine I came across in Ami's town. I sat in awe behind the drum set as she confronted me with a smile. Yuusaku leaned against the wall with his arms folded knowingly.

"I came across this magazine on our first day at work." Minori said, opening the magazine to the page with my picture and Ritsu's, "I didn't believe it at first, but looking at you closely, I could see the resemblance. Do you mind if I see your drumsticks?"

"My drumsticks..." I said, idly handing them to her, "w... wait!"

It was too late. She had taken them from me before I could retract my hand. She then observed the sticks, finding the engraving without too much trouble.

"Just as I thought..." she said calmly, reading the engraving carefully "Satoshi Tainaka."

"Y... Yuusaku..." I mumbled, turning to him for an explanation but he simply shrugged.

"I had to do it Satoshi." Yuusaku said, "Kusheida-san is our friend, so we shouldn't keep her in the dark like we did. We'd be lying to her if we did."

"I was very much worried Satoshi-kun, and maybe even a little hurt that you were keeping something like this from me." Minori said unusually serious, "But you didn't mean to do that... you're not that kind of person, Seeing you pour your heart out on those drums tonight, I can say that you did it cause' you're chasing a dream."

"I'm sorry..." I said lowering my head

"Don't be." Minori said shaking her head, "I'm like that too. I'm chasing a dream myself, so I know how it feels."

"Kusheida-san..."

"I used to play a lot of baseball, Satoshi-kun, hoping to someday go professional; maybe even play on the Olympic team." Minori explained, "The thing is, I couldn't keep on playing since I'm a girl, but that didn't bring me down. Instead of moping around, I switched to softball and aimed to study at a sports-oriented university to have a chance for the National League. That's why I've been juggling all these jobs and scraping out any scholarship I could find."

"Aren't you going to tell me to go back?" I asked, as if already expecting that response from here

"Why would I?" Minori said, "You're out to prove yourself - to make a happy future for yourself. As your friend, I don't want to take that chance away from you... Tanaka-san."

Tanaka-san, she says...

"So here." Minori said, producing a roll of thin grip tape and wrapping it around the engraving on my drumsticks, "Here's your chance."

Giving her a nod, I took the sticks from her again.

"You're starting anew Satoshi, and we understand that." Yuusaku added, "You don't have to do it alone though."

"Think of us as accomplices." Minori grinned, "We'll keep Tanaka-san company."

"Thanks guys." I said appreciatively, feeling a tear trickle down my cheek, "Oh... shoot."

"There, there." Minori said patting my shoulder

"Aww, come on..." I said brushing off her hand, making the three of us burst in laughter.

"Okay! Now that that's settled…" Minori said, now donning the bass guitar of the gruff bassist (with his permission of course), "we might as well have some fun."

She then proceeded to strum wildly with her usual over-the-top energy. It sounded terrible, but she didn't care. Holding the instrument as she would the shamisen though, she would definitely improve with practice.

"By the way, I've got some good news for us comrade Tanaka." She said as she strummed, "Seems that there's also a scholarship for musicians. We can't claim it now since we already applied, but maybe next semester."

So that's why she's trying the bass now...

"You know, if you're aiming to get a musical scholarship too, then you might as well practice." I said watching her play, "It takes a while to master the bass guitar – it's not as easy as it looks. Just because it has two strings less than the guitar doesn't make it easier."

"I could apply as a shamisen player." Minori countered, "But I guess I might as well try the bass too. Modern times call for modern instruments after all (though I still like how the shamisen sounds, honestly)."

"Fine, fine." I said with a smile. The only thing was that I wouldn't be able to teach her anything. All I knew about playing any kind of guitar was the finger-stretching techniques I used to see Yui-senpai and Azusa doing before playing at our Osaka house… As a shamisen player, Minori probably already knew more than me.

"If you want to learn the bass, young lady, then come on over when you're free." The bassist said as he approached us, "I'll lend you my bass when we have time if you want."

"Oh, that'd be great." Minori said happily. She then put her arm around my shoulder and said that she'll be around whenever 'this guy' is around. The bassist, Mirano and most of the other bandsmen then left the room for a round of drinks leaving us with their array of instruments.

Without a moment's hesitation, Minori quickly plucked the strings of the bass guitar again, this time producing a somewhat tangible melody. Yuusaku walked over to a nearby keyboard and tried playing along with Minori with a decent rhythm. Picking up my drumsticks, I then loosely followed their sporadic symphony as best as I could and the three of us played the night away. Though we merely played a single bar over and over again, it was the best jam session I've had in a long time. Feeling the grip tape wrapped around the engraved parts of the drumstick, I felt renewed. A new slate, a new start; I was free to live my life again.

* * *

A few days later, I finally moved out of the Kitamura residence to find my own place. Having gone through the offers at the local real estate agent's office and picking the cheapest, most convenient one I could find, I already knew where I was going. Taking out my set of keys, I felt a little excited that I was finally able to stand on my own two feet. I was self-sufficient now, thanks to my job at Vaisravana's heaven and Super Kanoya and my working student scholarship made sure that I had enough money for three decent meals a day. It was all falling into place.

Cycling through the town in the early morning, I reached the address of my new home. It was that small two-story rent house Yuusaku and I had passed by on my first day in town. It was basically the same as before, the only difference being the ten-story apartment building beside it that had been under construction two months ago was now finished. The towering structure now completely blocked off the morning sunlight as it left an imposing shadow on the poor house… no wonder the rent house rented out so cheap. In any case, this was my new home. I'll make the most out of it. School was starting soon after all, so I might as well get settled in.

Just as I was about to reach the door of the lower portion of the rent house, a tall figure came out from the upper portion with a trash bag in hand.

"Oh, hey there." He greeted, "You're our new neighbor I suppose."

"Yeah," I said stepping back to have a look at who was calling me, "I'm… whoa shoot!"

Looking up towards the figure, I saw a young man with fierce eyes; so fierce that they made my hairs stand on end. The fact that his hair cast a shadow over his face and that the trash bag he grasped looked awfully heavy didn't help either.

"D… don't hurt me! I… I'm not trespassing, I…"

Rather than say anything back though, the young man just sighed and walked down to throw the trash bag in the dumpster before heading back.

"Ryu-chan~" another voice then called, this time calling for the man, "what was that all about?"

"N… nothing really." The man replied

"Eh? It can't be." The voice argued. A window then opened from the second floor where a beautiful lady looked out. She was surprised by what she saw. "S… Satoshi-kun?"

"What?" The man gasped, coming out again for a second look at me "You know him mom?"

"Yeah." The lady said, "He's the drummer at Vaisravana's, so you can say he's a colleague of mine."

"No way…" I said in shock as I realized who it was I was looking at, "Mirano-chan?"

"Ah, I guess you two haven't met yet." Mirano said, pointing to the young man, "This here's my son, Ryuji Takasu."

"Oh, I didn't know…" I apologized immediately, "Sorry for acting so defensively."

"Don't worry about it…" The young man sighed, "I get that a lot."

"So anyways Satoshi-kun," Mirano asked intrigued, "you're the ground-floor tenant huh. Seems we're going to be neighbors then."

"Yeah…" I said, unsure of how I felt about that. I guess it wouldn't be that bad, right?

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

**Epilogue**

March 22nd in Nova Scotia, Canada. The streets of the city of Halifax were still covered in snow and would remain so until early April unless Groundhog Day came earlier that year, which didn't seem likely. There, in a typical shingle-roofed house near a school renowned by the city lived Francis Suzuki and his family. He had just arrived there recently, his flights through Canada having been delayed by the numerous February and March snowstorms and he was quite fatigued. Not only had the long and strenuous delays at the airports across Canada worn down the young man's usual vitality, news of his friend Satoshi Tainaka dying soon after he left weight heavily on him as well.

"Maybe I should've stayed…" He pondered as he sat before his laptop computer with his instant messenger on, noting the absence of his friend who used to be online every time he had the chance. From now on, Francis thought, he would be offline indefinitely and it was kinda sad. Just then, a message box popped open labeled 'Gui-tah_Hero'.

"Hello!" The message said, followed by a smiley face

"Hirasawa-senpai," Francis typed back, knowing exactly who 'Gui-tah_Hero' was, "It's been a while…"

"You've heard about Satoshi-kun, right?" Yui replied, inserting a few links to Japanese news websites about the incident.

"I know what happened to him…" Francis replied, "I just can't get myself to believe that he's already…"

"Well, don't believe it Suzuki-kun." Yui interrupted before Francis could send his message, "I'm not sure if you already know this, but Riichan thinks he's still out there."

"Does she?" Francis asked

"Yes." Yui replied, "And she's determined to find him. We're actually going on tour around Japan to look for him, from Osaka to Tokyo!"

"And I assume you guys will take that chance to reach Budokan before I do." Francis gleaned

"Ahehe, well, now that you put it that way…" Yui replied, "but the purpose of our trip is to find Satoshi-kun. We can settle our scores later."

"That's true…" Francis replied, "but what if you don't find him…"

"I prefer to think positively about it Suzuki-kun." Yui said, "If we believe he's still alive, then we might just be able to find him. We have to give it our all!"

"Well, good luck with that." Francis replied, "I have to go now Hirasawa-senpai; it's almost midnight here you see."

"Yui is fine." Yui replied, "You don't have to call me Hirasawa-senpai all the time – a friend of a brother of a friend is a friend of mine after all."

"I see. Well, good night Yui."

"Good afternoon Francis."

Francis then signed off and set his laptop aside. He then retreated back to his room where his guitar sat on a stand by the wall. He picked it up and started practicing without the amp plugged in. All of the sudden, his fatigue had melted away and he had the sudden urge to play his guitar. If his friend truly was still alive, then he didn't want to sound rusty… Satoshi probably thought the same way, he thought, and the Japanese-Canadian strummed chords into the night.

* * *

*The gruff bassist and the young guitarist - Eiji and Shoichi respectively, both characters from Over-Drive's DEARDROPS visual novel

*Shamisen - a Japanese banjo-like instrument

*Taiko - a Japanese drum/set of drums

*The time difference between Osaka, Japan and Halifax, Canada would be around 9 or 10 hours depending on Daylight Savings Time. Francis talked to Yui at 12MN Halifax time, so it was probably 2PM the next day in Osaka.

Author's Notes: Hey guys, Part II Chapter 10 is finally up and I hope you all enjoy it. Now, I have a question for you my readers - do you think I should keep the parts system (as in, Part I, Part II, Part III etc) or should I go for a standard chapter system? Feedback would be appreciated.


	20. Part II Finale, A New Journey Begins

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part II, Chapter 11 – Finale**

**Prologue**

A short girl with long locks of hair stands in the driveway of a prestigious school in the heart of Tokyo, Japan. The black sailor-style uniform she wore flapped calmly in the wind as she stood there impatient yet silent. Just then, a convertible sports car drove by and stopped right where the girl was standing. An older man, her father, waved and greeted the girl with a smile but the girl didn't mind him at all. She just got onto the car and slammed the door shut, prodding the man to start driving again. At the back of the car were a number of articles of luggage, all of which were labeled 'Taiga Aisaka'.

The car left the school and made it's way through the busy Tokyo streets to the central train station. All that time, neither of them said a word. The only thing the father and daughter shared was their silence.

* * *

**The Two-Story Rent House**

The uniform of Ohashi High, along with a pair of refurbished leather shoes, was laid out on my humble futon bed (which was barely a bed at all…) one fine morning in early April. I had specifically woken up about half an hour earlier than usual to arrange those things. Now that it was before me, a wide smile grew on my face. Today was the opening ceremony at Ohashi High and once I walk through the school gates in that uniform, I would officially begin my life as a high-schooler – just thinking about it brought shivers up my spine. Good shivers, that is – there's a difference!

'What would it be like?' I would ask myself every now and then, thinking of every possible scenario… though I tried to think positively as I put on the uniform in that barely furnished room I was renting. Now that I was on my own two feet, where would I go from there?

Just then the sound of a parrot struggling to say something resounded from the apartment upstairs. The poor bird sounded so strained that it would have brought a zoologist to tears. Alongside that sound of struggle, another voice seemed to be prodding it on; a person's.

"Come on Inko-chan!" The voice cheered, "You can say it! Say 'Inko'..."

"Iiinn~ kweh…"

The struggle stopped followed by an audible sigh,

"Not today huh…" the voice continued, "I guess it can't be helped."

That was my neighbor, Ryuji Takasu and his pet parrot Inko-chan. Such strange sounds from the bird were common in the mornings, saying short incomprehensible words or phrases in its waking moments. Perhaps it was trying to speak English instead of Japanese. I'll never know.

Anyways, Ryuji lived in the second floor of the two-story rent house with his mother Yasuko Takasu – a co-worker of mine in Vaisravana's heaven who has a stage name of 'Mirano'. Judging by the constant shuffle of feet from upstairs, I could tell that he, just like I was supposed to be doing, was preparing for school. I had learned from Mirano-chan that he was going to study at Ohashi High as well, but other than that I didn't really know much about him. Though we had been neighbors for about four days, we rarely ran into each other, let alone speak to each other. Today would be no different, I thought, as I readied myself to head on out. Fate, however, seemed intent on breaking that silence.

"Satoshi-kun!" Called Yasuko from above, "You up already?"

"Mom!" Ryuji argued, "You shouldn't be so loud in the mornings. Our neighbors are gonna complain!"

"Eh?" Yasuko said in a clueless voice, "Satoshi-kun's our only neighbor, so…"

"I'm awake, I'm awake." I responded, heading out the door to hear them more clearly. Once I was outside, the window opened and mother and son peered out. "What's up?"

"Satoshi-kun, I was wondering if you wanted to have breakfast with us this morning." Yasuko said, "Ryu-chan put in an extra half-cup of rice in the rice cooker you see…"

"Actually, you asked me to put in that extra half-cup, mom." Ryuji countered, "You said that you felt like having seconds but ended up not finishing your share…"

"In any case Satoshi-kun, would you like some breakfast?" Yasuko offered a second time, "Unless you've already had breakfast, that is."

Come to think of it, I didn't have any breakfast that morning since I was planning to just buy food at the convenience store. My grumbling stomach seemed to value homemade food more than convenience store food too, so I was compelled to accept.

"Is it really alright?" I asked, fixing the collar of my uniform

"We still have about an hour before the opening ceremony." Ryuji said, "Besides, we got off on the wrong foot last week. Call this a peace offering if you will."

Right… remembering our first encounter at the rent house, there was no wonder the two of us never spoke to each other even once till now. Since we were going to be going to the same school, we might as well make amends.

"Thanks. I'm coming up." I replied, heading up the stairs to join them for breakfast. After a good serving of fried fish and miso soup, along with the half-cup of rice I had been offered in the first place, I was quite thankful I didn't go on ahead. The traditional Japanese breakfast trumps instant noodles any day after all!

"This is really good!" I praised, "I didn't know you were a good cook Mirano-chan. I'm sure that if you brought food like this to the bar, the boss and the bouncer might be a little less grumpy!"

"They might," Yasuko said with a smile, "but the thing is, it's Ryu-chan who makes the food around here."

"Whoa, really?" I asked surprised

"Yeah." Ryuji said with a slight nod, "A handful of home economics skills comes in handy, especially when you're living on a tight budget."

"Is that so…Thanks for breakfast by the way, I appreciate it Takasu."

"No problem."

After this meeting, I came to realize that Ryuji Takasu wasn't exactly the fierce person I had thought him to be. Quite far from that, he was a gentle domesticated giant. Young guys my age who knew how to cook, and as I would later learn, clean around the house were rare. This positive facet however was seemingly outweighed by his looks. From a distance, his eyes were a little awkward and the slightest crumple of the brow translated to apparent fury. Up close like this though, that wasn't the case and he seemed like a regular fellow.

Anyways, as soon as we finished breakfast, I heard a bike stop at the front yard of the rent house. Taking a look out the window, I saw that it was Yuusaku headed for my apartment.

"Satoshi-kun." Yuusaku said as he knocked on the rickety old door on the first floor, "Are you up yet? We're going to be late for class if we don't hurry, you know."

"Kitamura!" I called, "I'm up here."

"Up?" Yuusaku said lifting his eyes, "Oh."

"Hey there." Ryuji said greeting Yuusaku, "You're from Ohashi High student too?"

"Yeah." Yuusaku said, seemingly unaffected by Ryuji's eyes, "I'm Yuusaku Kitamura, incoming freshman."

"Ryuji Takasu." Ryuji replied, "How do you do?"

"Are~ are~?" Yasuko hummed as she looked out the window, wondering what was going on, "Oh, it's one of Satoshi-kun's friends."

Not wanting to continue our conversation through the window, Ryuji and I came down to meet with Yuusaku where the two introduced themselves properly. Talking there, we decided to walk to school with Ryuji instead of biking as originally planned. We would just pull our bikes along with us – it wasn't that big of a deal. It was the first day of school after all – it was only natural for people who lived close by, much more the same rent house, to walk together.

We bid farewell to Ryuji's mom who saw us off till the driveway. We then started walking down the road to Ohashi High. On our way there, Yuusaku and I found out that Ryuji, no thanks to his eyes, was socially estranged. It wasn't because he told us he was socially estranged – that would make for an awkward introduction after all. It was because of the way other people acted around him. We had passed by a number of people in the Ohashi High uniform on the way to school, but every single one of them avoided Ryuji like the plague. There were even people who, when bumping into Ryuji, would desperately beg for forgiveness after seeing his eyes. They would then offer him their wallets then run away for dear life. Ryuji would just keep on walking, muttering silent curses to some phantom of sorts.

"This happens to me a lot, you see." Ryuji said dejectedly, "It happened all throughout Middle School… I guess it's going to happen again in High School. Everyone I meet is afraid of these damn eyes…"

"Well, I guess this year you can make two exceptions." Yuusaku said with a smile

"Actually, the first time this guy saw me," Ryuji said, "he curled up into a ball too."

"I told you, I'm sorry." I apologized again, remembering the incident all too clearly.

"But I appreciate it." Ryuji said with a faint smile. Just then, the school chime rang through the air. The three of us quickened our pace, left the two bikes at a bike park and headed straight for the auditorium for the opening ceremony. Unlike outside, it was rather dark in the auditorium with only the stage being brightly lit. This meant that no one really saw the fierce eyes of Ryuji. There, no one really avoided him, save for the few who glanced at him every now and then from afar. He seemed to feel much more comfortable here. Clearly, his eyes seemed to cause him a lot of trouble so he was more than happy to disappear like this from time to time. After the ceremony though, the avoidance began anew as we stepped back into the sunlight. Out there, someone was waiting for us.

"Kitamura-kun, Tanaka-san!" Called Minori, waving to us as she ran to where we were. Yuusaku and I turned and saw the usually plain and boyish Minori Kushieda wearing the red-coated Ohashi High girl's uniform. As if that wasn't enough to grab our attention, she even unflinchingly did a turn or two to show Yuusaku and I the uniform (in exchange for turning around ourselves – but we could live with that). As pretty as whe was though, the passionate monologue she gave us about dry cleaning and laundry reminded me that she was still most energetic, strangest and most eccentric girl I knew… second only to Yui-senpai perhaps. What a waste. Ryuji however seemed to think otherwise.

He stood there behind us as we chatted with the strange girl, enthralled by the mere presence of her. His heart then raced when her eyes happened to meet with his for one fateful moment. All of the sudden a fit of panic overcame our estranged companion, remembering the consequences he had to face whenever anyone saw those eyes of his. As if it were a defense mechanism, he dug his hands into his pockets and turned away. Minori however did not.

"Ah, and who might this be?" She said, looking at Ryuji with interest. "Is he with you guys?"

Yuusaku and I gave her a nod and Minori immediately approached Ryuji with a warm smile.

"Hey there, the name's Minori. Minori Kusheida."

This seemingly simple introduction struck a chord in Ryuji's heart. Never before had he felt this way in his life and his heart beat faster and faster. It was rare for people to be unfazed by his looks, let alone approach and talk to him like Yuusaku did earlier today but this was different. The fact that a girl like Minori, as topically strange as she might seem, saw past his eyes made it all the more special.

"Ryuji…" he replied shyly as he looked back and forth between Minori and the sky, "Ryuji Takasu."

"Nice to meet you." She said with a kind nod. "A friend of Satoshi-kun's I suppose."

"Yeah." I confirmed, "We live in the same rent house – he lives on the second floor."

"Dorm-mates huh!" Minori said happily, "That must be nice."

Yuusaku and I then dutifully explained to her the circumstances of our meeting earlier that morning. All that time, an air of brightness was about Ryuji and he seemed to be a little bit kindlier than before. He seemed happy.

Just then, one of the students called out to the rest saying that the class lists were finally being posted out on the courtyard. Looking at each other, the four of us walked on over to the lists to start looking for our names. We saw them listed together under the class 1-A. Minori, Yuusaku, Ryuji and I were going to be classmates! My first year in High School was going to start surrounded by friends I had made – everything was going smoothly. One quirk in this seemingly perfect situation however would tarnish that immaculate outlook.

The four of us had found the 1-A classroom and were duly welcomed by the homeroom teacher – an elderly music teacher who seemed just about ready to retire. Immediately after introducing himself to the class, he told us that he wasn't going to be our teacher for much longer since he was going to retire. In a few weeks time, he was going to be replaced by another music teacher – a music teacher transferring in from a school in Osaka; a teacher whose name made me cringe. She was Sawako Yamanaka – a soon-to-be-former teacher in Sakura-gakou; Ritsu's school.

* * *

**End of Part II**

* * *

**Epilogue**

Ritsu Tainaka sat with her legs crossed on the floor of her brother's former room in their house in Osaka. She sat there in the same spot Satoshi used to sit when he was troubled in the past and she slowly scanned the now empty room ponderously. Innumerable questions flowed through her head as she sat there, remembering the seemingly short time they had spent together. Holding the drumsticks the same way Satoshi used to do when she first taught him the drums, she wondered how he was doing now.

"He's probably eating instant noodles for breakfast." She thought to herself chuckling, remembering how much her little brother loved instant noodles. If he really didn't die in that frozen river, she reasoned, then he might die of sodium overconsumption. The thought made her giggle for a while, but warm as soon as she calmed down. Standing up from where she sat, she dusted her skirt and put on the school blazer she had set aside on the doorknob. Once it was on, she fished through her pockets and took out a metal flower-shaped pin painted gold. She pinned it onto the collar of the blazer and smiled.

"See this Satoshi?" She said, showing the phantom Satoshi the golden pin, "I'm going to graduate soon. When I do, I'm going to be free to find you. Yui, Mugi, Mio and Azusa, all of us are gonna find you!"

Just then, she remembered that Azusa wasn't graduating yet.

"Hmm... I didn't think about that..."

Dejectedly, she stuck her hands into her skirt pocket making a loud crumpling noise.

"Eh? What's this?"

It was a sheet of paper that read 'Sakura Gakou Senior's Future Questionnaire'. The sheet was supposedly a declaration of the kind of college or university they wanted or the field or profession they wanted to pursue. The one in Ritsu's pocket however was notably empty.

"Didn't think about this either..." she said with a heavy sigh, "I wonder if Yui already answered hers?"

* * *

**Author's Notes**: So, Part II of Reaching for the Stars is finally done and I am very much satisfied with the story as a whole. Keep in mind though that the story is not finished - not by a longshot! Part III will be something I hope you all will look forward to in the near future since I am looking forward to writing it myself! Now that I am in 1st year University though, I am declaring a temporary hiatus. If I can handle it, I'll try to update once a month like before :D. Thanks for reading Reaching for the Stars - Part III will come soon :)


	21. Part III Prologue, Visitor from the Past

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part III, Chapter 1 - Prologue**

A beautiful lady in her early thirties walks briskly yet confidently through the hallowed hallways of Sakura-gakou in the outskirts of central Osaka. She wore a warm smile on her face and was greeted just as warmly by the girls of the exclusive girls-only school. Though she specifically only taught a few classes in the third year, freshmen and sophomores respected her as much as the third-year seniors did. This was the usual scene in the hallways at recess time just before third period, she told herself as she pranced through the scene. The only difference was that the students, on top of their usual greetings, were exceptionally lively. It made her feel happy somewhat, but also a little bit sad.

She turned a corner near the end of the hall and slipped into the faculty room. There, her fellow teachers and instructors immediately took notice of her presence and greeted her cheerfully when they wouldn't normally do so. This abnormality in routine, like the sugared greetings of the students, didn't bother her. She knew what it was all about. As soon as she reached her desk where most of her things had already been arranged into small boxes and parcels, she remembered the matter at hand. In less than a week, after the graduation ceremony, she was transferring out of the school.

It was the perfect job opportunity she thought as she read through her transfer transcript once more in her desk. She was going to get to move to a quieter place, and the pay at her new teaching job wasn't bad either. She was going to continue teaching music which had been her passion (a passion brought about by a failed love, but a passion nonetheless), and her long-time friend Yuri Koigakubo was a teacher in that new school as well. Though it was quite bittersweet to leave a teaching job at her high school alma mater, she was looking forward to it.

Everything was going smoothly and her transfer was pretty much underway. All she had to do was wait it out and she would be headed for Ohashi in no time. There was however a little kink in that plan... in fact there were two. Looking over at a list posted in front of her desk, she saw two names written; "Ritsu Tainaka" and "Yui Hirasawa". They were the last two seniors who haven't been able to submit their Post-Secondary Education Questionnaire, more popularly known as 'The Senior's Future Questionnaire'.

"At this rate, those two won't have a future..." The teacher sighed. Heading over to the announcement desk, she summoned the two girls to the faculty room to have a little chat with them. Hopefully, she could talk some sense into the two before she left. Talking any sort of sense to those two was easier said than done, but it was the least she could do.

* * *

"Nodoka-chan!" Yui Hirasawa groaned as she desperately looked for her friend in the classroom.

"Yui," a bespectacled girl said as she sat beside Yui who now had her face buried into her desk, "you were called by Sawako-sensei over the PA weren't you? What's wrong?"

"Argh... it's the Senior's Future Questionnaire!" She replied irritably, showing her friend a terribly crumpled questionnaire. Other than the name and ink smudges, the questionnaire was mostly blank.

"You still haven't decided huh..." Nodoka said rubbing her chin as she observed the empty paper, "Well, neither has Tainaka-san."

"Actually, I've already decided." Ritsu said, joining the two at Yui's seat

"Which college would you be going to then Tainaka-san." Nodoka asked curiously

"None." Ritsu replied firmly, "I'm not going to go to college."

"What?" Nodoka gasped, shocked by her response "You can't be serious!"

"I'm serious." Ritsu said, "I've been thinking lately, and that's what I planned to do."

"Riichan..." Yui said a little concerned, "Would it be because of Satoshi-kun?"

"Ergh... never mind that!" Ritsu lashed irritably, "Yui, let's go."

Without another word, Ritsu dragged Yui along with her to the staff room as Nodoka watched with concern.

"What's going on Nodoka?" Mio asked, having come into the room just then

"I don't really know Mio," Nodoka sighed, "but hopefully it's not anything too serious."

* * *

"Riichan..." Yui said fidgeting around as she and Ritsu sat outside of the staff lounge, "about college, were you really serious about what you said?"

Ritsu didn't reply.

"I mean, I still don't know where I'm planning to go and I don't really have any plans or whatnot..." Yui continued her worried monologue, "but I never wanted to skip college!"

Still, Ritsu remained silent, making Yui ever more worried.

"You know Riichan," Yui prodded one last time, "we don't have to be on tour for the whole year. The Fall term starts in September after all, we can stop at late August. We also have Golden Week in May - that's when we plan to start right? That'll be three whole summer months of touring!"

"You're right..." Ritsu sighed. Yui had discerned her motives so now she was at a loss.

"If Satoshi-kun were alive, he'd put school as a priority." Yui said, "At least that's what Francis tells me."

"Francis? You mean Suzuki-kun over in Canada?" Ritsu asked

"Yeah, yeah." Yui nodded, "We talk over on the instant messenger."

"Does he know about what suposedly happened to Satoshi-kun already?" Ritsu asked again

"Uh-huh." Yui replied, "But I told him not to believe it. He feels the same way as us - he thinks Satoshi is still out there."

"It'll take more than cold water to take down that kid..." Ritsu smiled weakly

"So keep your hopes up Riichan!" Yui cheered happily, "We'll find him before school starts, and everyone will be happy!"

"You're right!" Ritsu said regaining confidence, "I can't just throw away school like that... I guess my anxiety was getting the better of me."

"Alright!" Yui said with a grin. The moment she remembered the reason why they were there in the first place though, she deflated instantly. "Argh, the questionnaires!"

Yui's vociferous realization despirited Ritsu as well and the two of them took out their questionnaires to finally make a decision.

"What do we want to be when we graduate?" Ritsu read the questionnaire out loud, "What do you say Yui?"

"I have no idea!" Yui replied passionately, making Ritsu groan.

"Well... what's the thing you're most passionate about?" Ritsu probed, "Maybe that'll give you an idea."

"The thing I'm most passionate about?" Yui repeated rubbing her chin, "Ah! Gui-tah!"

"Music then." Ritsu said writing 'Musician' on both hers and Yui's sheets, "I've been into music for as long as I could remember... it's the only thing I can think of really."

"I feel the same way." Yui said in a rare moment of seriousness, "Without my guitar, I don't think I would've gotten this far."

"I see." Ritsu said with a smile, "Partners in crime then?"

"Of course!" Yui said determinedly. The two of them then marched into the staff room to face their teacher.

"Sawa-chan!" Ritsu greeted energetically, "How's the moving going? Are your things already moved?"

Sawako thought for a moment, considering answering the question Ritsu posed but decided not to. Knowing Ritsu, she was trying to avoid the topic at hand - she's done it before. Over and over.

"Let's get down to business, okay?" Sawako said, brushing Ritsu's delaying query aside, "It's my last week here you know, at least hand in those questionnaires... it's not only for my sake (though I'll get a salary penalty if I don't get all of them in), but it's for your futures too. That's why it's the 'Senior's Future' questionnaire after all."

"Ah, don't worry about that Sawa-chan!" Yui reassured, "Riichan and I already answered the sheet. Here!"

The girl showed the teacher their answered questionnaires and the teacher couldn't believe they actually filled them in. Readjusting her reading glasses, Sawako took the sheets and had a closer look at them. A moment of silence ensued, broken later by a mild snicker that grew louder the longer she looked at the answer.

"Musicians?" Sawako asked laughing, "Are you sure you girls didn't just write this on your way here?"

Actually, that was exactly what they did, but that wasn't the point.

"C'mon Sawa-chan..." Ritsu pleaded, "Yui and I put a lot of thought into that!"

"I believe you, I believe you..." Sawako sighed with suspicion, "But girls... being a musician isn't exactly an easy path to take. Just because Afternoon Tea Time is a successful band in Osaka doesn't mean you guys will hit it big... Music is a labor of love, you see, and the music industry right now isn't what it used to be. People with little or no talent are getting the spotlight while the talented ones either give up or starve trying..."

"But..." Yui said, wanting to reason with her too but their teacher would have none of it.

"No." Sawako said, handing them back their sheets, "Find something more productive to do... the real world isn't as pretty as you might think it is. It's different when you step out of these walls you know.."

Though the girls knew that she was saying this because of her history of punk-death metal in High School, they couldn't argue with her. Being a member of an indie band in the past, she knew what it was like in the industry whereas they did not.

"So please girls, give me something by the graduation ceremony." Sawako said regretfully, "That'll be your last chance to change your minds."

Dejectedly, the girls took back their sheets and walked out of the staff room a little disheartened.

"What are we gonna do now Riichan?" Yui said pleadingly, "Music is the only thing I can think of! If Sawa-chan won't accept it, then what'll happen to us?"

"Don't worry Yui," Ritsu said, "I think I have a plan."

* * *

Back at the clubroom of the Light Music Club, Mio, Tsumugi and Azusa were assembled around a small table by the window having tea as they normally would on days like this. An unusual guest sat among them there as well; Nodoka Manabe. When asked why she was there, she simply replied that Yui asked her to drop by. Other than that, she too was clueless as to why she was there in the Light Music Club's room. Just then...

"We're back!" Ritsu called as she and Yui came back with smiles on their faces

"Oh," Mio said as she noticed their smiles, "did Sawako-sensei accept your questionnaires?"

"Nope." Yui said showing them their rejected papers, "She said Riichan and I had to give it more thought."

"But the thing is, we have given it a lot of thought already." Ritsu said, "We're already decided on this path... Yui and I just have to show Sawa-chan just how determined we are."

"How exactly do you plan to do that?" Mio asked doubtingly, "A no means no, you two. You can't make her change her mind about something like that..."

"Well, that's where Nodoka-chan comes in!" Yui reassured, "You're the student council president right? Could you possibly do us a favor?"

"Ah... so that's why you called me up." Nodoka said, "It depends on the kind of favor you're asking Yui... it won't violate any rules now will it?"

"We're holding a coup d'etat!" Yui said cheerfully, as if the word 'coup d'etat' didn't mean anything, "It's a surprise for Sawa-chan!"

"What!" Nodoka gasped. Being the student council president, hearing that word frightened her. She then started looking around the clubroom, looking for any weapons they might have stored away there illegally.

"Not a literal one." Ritsu reassured, "A guerrilla concert."

"Yeah!" Yui cheered, "A guerrilla concert! Let's do it! Let's do it!"

Nodoka then sighed with a smile. Seeing such passion in Yui's eyes, she knew she wouldn't be able to talk her out of whatever she had in mind. Arguing with Yui at that state was futile, and she personally was curious about the crazy idea of the two anyways. Tsumugi served the student council president some tea and Yui and Ritsu explained the plan to her. After negotiations here and there, they were finally able to strike a deal with Nodoka and the specific planning commenced. Azusa, though she wouldn't be able to participate, was glad that her seniors were finally starting initiative of some sort, unorthodox as it might be. She would be with them in spirit, she thought. That was enough.

* * *

Three days later, on the day of the graduation ceremony, the seniors of Sakura-gakou, now bearing the golden flower pin on their blazers, entered the school auditorium in single file, filling up the rows of seats that had been set up for them. Among them were Ritsu Tainaka, Yui Hirasawa, Mio Akiyama, Tsumugi Kotobuki and Nodoka Manabe who, despite not being alphabetically arranged as prescribed, were seated together. Yui seemed terribly jittery as she walked and as they passed through, a number of seniors from the student council acknowledged their presence with a nod and sometimes even a salute. Sawako and the rest of the staff watched this take place with confused looks on their face, innocent of their impending takeover. The students were seated and the graduation ceremony proceeded without too much disruption.

Before the names of the seniors would be called out and before the certificates given to the new graduates, it was a tradition of the school to have everyone present sing the school song accompanied by piano. Sawako stood up from where she sat to announce that to the attendees, talking about the values of music in Sakura-gakou and it's importance in the school. When she walked over to where the piano usually was, it wasn't there. A moment of awkward silence fell upon the room as she stood there looking for the non-existent piano. Thinking it was a logistics error, Sawako kept her calm and walked over to the secondary stage of the auditorium. When she was halfway though, the lights flickered on and off before going black.

"Go." Nodoka said to her companions, standing up to let them pass, "Now's your chance!"

The four girls then sneaked onto the secondary stage and crept behind the curtain. There, their instruments sat prepared and amped, most prominent among them being Yui's Gibson Les Paul guitar affectionately known as 'Gui-tah'.

"Gui-tah!" Yui squealed as she ran up and embraced her guitar, kissing the fretboard lovingly, "I missed you so much!"

"Yui, stay focused..." Mio said as she put on her bass, "We don't have a lot of time... and we're not really supposed to be here."

"It's alright Mio, we'll be fine." Ritsu said as she got behind the drum set, "Do we have 'it'?"

"Yes, it's right here." Tsumugi said, pointing to the familiar Flying-V guitar sitting beside her keyboard, "Let's go."

"LET'S GO!" Yui seconded, now wearing Gui-tah over and ready to play.

On that signal, the curtains opened and the spotlights to the second stage came on with a series of loud clicks. Everyone turned to the second stage, seeing the Light Music Club assembled with their instruments. The seniors were very much amused, but most of the staff didn't share that sentiment. Sawako, for instance, was totally aghast.

"Girls..." she tried whispering, "You guys shouldn't be up there! Mugi-chan! Give me back the keyboard!"

"Everyone!" Yui said on the microphone, largely ignoring their instructor's evacuation orders, "We are the Light Music Club! All of us standing here today are going to graduate and in the future, we will look back to these days as 'the good old days' right? Well, we at the Light Music Club, with permission from the Student Council..."

"Don't mention me!" Nodoka gestured quietly, but it was too late. Sawako was already glaring at her from a distance and she knew there was no turning back now.

"With permission from the Student Council, we decided to present the school with a farewell gift!" Yui continued cheerfully. She then turned to their fuming instructor and called her up on stage.

"Sawa-chan... I mean Sawako-sensei," she said picking up the Flying-V guitar, "This performance is also our farewell gift to you, our favorite club instructor of all time!"

Seeing her old guitar being offered to her and hearing the determination in Yui's voice, her frown slowly crumbled into a smile.

"You told me and Riichan to make a decision by the graduation ceremony," Yui said as she gave her the guitar, "Well, we've made our decision. We'll show you we're decided on being musicians!"

"Very well," Sawako said putting on the guitar and plugging it into an amp, surprising the rest of the staff, "What song did you have in mind to convince me then?"

"Cagayake! Girls, our carrier single!" Yui said

Ritsu then tapped her drumsticks in tempo and the song began with all five instruments in rock melodic tandem.

* * *

**Cagayake! GIRLS/Shine, Girls!**

**Musicians: Yui Hirasawa (Gt-1, Vo), Mio Akiyama (Ba), Ritsu Tainaka (Dr), Tsumugi Kotobuki (Ky), Sawako Yamanaka (Gt-2)**

Disclaimer: This is an interpretation of the song, and I therefore do not own this song. Credits to the music directors of K-ON!

Notes: Gt-1 = Lead Guitar, Gt-2 = Rhythm Guitar/Second Guitar

* * *

_(Chatting now) "Hey, it's really lively - it's never ending girl's talk!_

_We can't wait for the bell to ring at the end of class!_

_Though we may be late, leaving early is a no, no, no!"_

_"We'll go out and study hard after school!"_

"Come on seniors! Get on your feet!"

_[Instrumental Break - Gt-1, Ba, Dr, Ky, Gt-2]_

_"There's no stopping this heart of mine!_

_It's on full-throttle everytime!_

_We've all got our dreams and desires,_

_All wrapped in ribbons, hey, ain't that nice?"_

_"We'll get better, just wait and see_

_We're not NEETs, we're lively and free!_

_A published work will have all our names,_

_After it all, we'll still be the same."_

**_Bridge 1:_**

_"If we cut our skirts a bit,_

_I'm sure that we can fly_

_Further out than yesterday_

_An octave higher in this song we call life!"_

**_Chorus:_**

_(Jumping Now) "Hey, it's really beautiful; the never ending girl's life!_

_We're looking forward to that daily live!_

_I don't want to miss it, not attending is a no, no, no!_

_We're shouting out with all we've got!" (WAHOO!)_

_"Hey, it's truly splendid; the never ending girl's song!_

_The afternoon tea for me is just right!_

_We know life is hard, but hey, we just won't give up (Here we go!)_

_We'll just go and sing for you after school!"_

_..._

_"We live lightly everyday_

_Smiling brightly whatever we face_

_There's more to life than equations and arcs,_

_I'll give them a lesson with my own guitar!"_

_"My feet take me where I want to go,_

_Where that is, i don't really know_

_It's like strumming an unfretted bar,_

_There's no degree to follow your heart!"_

_..._

_**Bridge 2**_

_"When I cut my hair today,_

_I'll part it to the side,_

_Cause once we graduate,_

_I know that things will be alright!"_

_..._

**_Chorus:_**

_(Jumping Now) "Hey, it's really lively - it's never ending girl's talk!_

___We can't wait for the bell to ring at the end of class!_

_Though we may be late, leaving early is a no, no, no!_

_We're out to study to enjoy!" __(Enjoy!)_

_"Hey, it's truly splendid; the never ending girl's song!_

_The afternoon tea for me is just right!_

_We know life is hard, but hey, we just won't give up" (Here we go!)_

_"We'll just go and sing for you after school!"_

_

* * *

_

By this time, the entire auditorium was on it's feet. Nodoka, the student council and the seniors were already cheering them on and singing along with them prodding the performers onwards. The guitar solo came, followed by the keyboard, then the bass and finally the drums. Amazed by what was going on, even the staff members were starting to get into the performance. Their shock had been chiseled down into excitement as they found themselves clapping to the beat of the song. Sawako saw this and grinned.

"Seems they're gonna let them off easy this time..."

A loud drum phrase then kicked in, bringing Sawako's attention back to her guitar and the last part of the song began.

* * *

_"It really is an endless loop,_

_Our lives go down, up, down then up,_

_But when it comes down to it_

_We just have to look up, up, up and up!_

_Laughing as the years roll by_

_Never getting older_

_That's the best way to live life,_

_Always happy, always smiling, is it not?"_

**_Chorus:_**

_(Jumping Now) "Hey, it's really beautiful; the never ending girl's life!_

_We're looking forward to that daily live!_

_I don't want to miss it, not attending is a no, no, no!_

_We're shouting out with all we've got!" (WAHOO!)_

_"Hey, it's truly splendid; the never ending girl's song!_

_The afternoon tea for me is just right!_

_We know life is hard, but hey, we just won't give up" (Here we go!)_

_"We'll just go and sing for you after school!"_

_"So shining, shiner, shinest; girls be ambitious and shine!_

_shining, shiner, shinest; girls be ambitious and shine!_

_shining, shiner, shinest; girls be ambitious and shine!"_

_

* * *

_

The song ended and was greeted by a standing ovation from everyone, and the principal herself applauded the girls. The girls took their bows and returned to their seats and Sawako got back to the staff panel so that the ceremony could finally continue. One by one, each other girls were called up and received their High School diplomas and ended with an orderly exit procession.

"You girls could've been in trouble there..." Sawako whispered to Ritsu as she walked beside her during the procession, "You were lucky the principal was liberal enough to replace the school song with J-Pop!"

"Well, I wouldn't mind if we got into trouble." Ritsu said, "The real world is tough for musicians right? We have to be willing to take risks."

"This one was a little too much though..." Sawako laughed dryly, "But, I guess you guys really want to do this."

"We really do." Ritsu said, handing her's and Yui's papers a second time, "So please accept it."

"Yeah!" Yui said cutting in line to join them, "Come on Sawa-chan..."

"Alright." Sawako said, finally taking the papers, "There's some good universities around the country with music courses - I suggest you and Hirasawa-san start choosing."

"Will do." The two girls said happily

"Oh, and one more thing." Sawako said, "Good luck with your tour, I'll be rooting for you."

"Thanks." They replied as they got back into line. The procession ran through the entire school one more time then ended at the gates. From thereon end, Yui Hirasawa, Ritsu Tainaka, Mio Akiyama and Tsumugi Kotobuki were High School graduates. Their whole lives are ahead of them, and so is their tour. They couldn't be more excited. The flower pins they wore on their blazers shone in the sunlight, sparking with the liveliness of youth. Each and every one of them, especially Ritsu, hoped that that light would reach Satoshi's eyes someday. After such a concert though, they didn't think they were that far off. They had a chance.

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

Live - Pertains to a live show, or a concert.

Author's Notes: College has started and luckily, the workload is still light enough for me to pump out a few chapters. This is one i've been wanting to do for a long time - my interpretation for Cagayake! GIRLS. As a guy, my head is already aching a bit, having to write about girly stuff in first-person, but the song is too good to pass up. There is the fruit of my sacrifice :D. With Part III officially started, I will do my best to continue developing the story from here. Thanks for staying with me!


	22. Shamisen and Taiko

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part III, Chapter 2**

**Prologue**

"And, there!" Yui said as she adjusted a webcam in her room in Osaka. Her beloved Gibson Les Paul otherwise known as 'Gui-tah' slung over her shoulder, "Can you see me now?"

"No... oh, there, now I can see ya." Francis replied, turning on the webcam in his laptop in Halifax. Like Yui, he wore his Fender Squier Stratocaster as well. "Is the video over there good too?"

"Yeah." Yui said cheerfully, "What a nice guitar... Fender huh."

"And yours is a Gibson." Francis replied, "The Les Paul and the Strat are popular guitar models. They're the ones that turn people into legends."

"You think it'll turn me into a legend too?" Yui prodded, batting her eyelashes as if trying to get him to say 'yes'. Francis just smirked and said,

"Depends on how good you are on the guitar."

"I think I'm pretty good!" Yui replied brashly, a little hurt that she didn't get the response she wanted. The two of them then laughed.

Over the past few weeks, Francis Suzuki and Yui Hirasawa had been chatting with each other through an instant messenger on a regular basis. There, Francis would learn more about the activities of Afternoon Tea Time and Yui would repeatedly tease Francis about his crush on Ritsu. Though they were nearly half a world apart, it was as if they were sitting right in front of each other. That night though (or morning in Canada), the two of them decided to try doing a webchat. While they were at it, they would take that chance to show each other their guitars - or to see who was the better guitarist. With their guitars unplugged from the amplifiers, the sound that came from them were like that of an acoustic - no effects, no overdrive. It was a long-distance jam session.

"You're a pretty good guitarist." Yui noted as they both set their guitars aside, "You've got a pretty good handle on the hand stuff and the moving along."

"You mean the fretting and the progressions." Francis corrected with a laugh

"That too! You know your terms better than me." Yui sighed, "I never really memorized their names, you see."

Francis quickly thought up a number of reasons as to why. He decided not to share them.

"I take Music Theory classes after school here." Francis said, "Even when I was in Osaka, I frequented the conservatory so all that stuff was practically drilled into my head."

"Oh, so you're a classical person." Yui said, "Isn't the conservatory for pianos and whatever?"

"Not just pianos," Francis said, "they have violins and guitars - though they prefer acousic ones there."

"Ah..." Yui said interested

"I'm more of a rock person though." Francis said with pride, "That's why I chose the electric guitar."

"I see." Yui said, "Anyways, Golden Week is coming up in a few weeks. Everyone here's getting excited!"

"I heard." Francis said, "I saw videos of your perfomance at the graduation ceremony. I didn't think you or Tainaka-senpai would be daring enough to do something like that. After something like that, who wouldn't be excited?"

"I know right?" Yui agreed, "We're going on our first live tour! I can't believe it."

"So what songs did you have for your tour?" Francis probed, "You do have a repertoire, don't you?"

"We do!" Yui said, "Cagayake! GIRLS, Fuwa Fuwa Time, Watashi wa Koi no Hotchikkisu and some others. We're touring the songs in the CD we made."

"The CD eh," Francis said, "Those are good songs, but weren't those songs from two years ago?"

In the face of Francis' question, the once excited Yui fell silent.

"You guys haven't made any new songs since then?" Francis continued

"Ahehe... probably not." Yui laughed, scratching her head, "Looks like I'm going to have to see Mio-chan about this."

"Onee-chan, dinner is almost ready!" A voice then called out from Yui's side

"Ah, dinnertime already?" Yui said, "Sorry Francis, I gotta go. Ui's going to get mad at me if I don't come down."

"Alright." Francis said, preparing to sign off as well, "Be sure to talk to Akiyama-senpai about that - new songs are vital during tours! I'll tell you that."

"You sound like you've been through this stuff before." Yui said on a final note, "Have you been in a band before?"

"You could say that."

* * *

The sun shone unusually brightly that day in early May as the familiar school chime rang through the halls of Ohashi High, marking the end of fourth period. Sighs of relief and the sound of chatter soon filled the rooms, replacing the silence and the occasional lecture in both Japanese and English of the class hours. Lunch break had come and the students were off to enjoy themselves. There, in the 1-A classroom, Ryuji Takasu, Yuusaku Kitamura, Minori Kusheida and I sat, arranging our things to prepare to head out. Just as I was about to invite my friends to have lunch together, Ryuji and Yuusaku were already gone.

"Seems it's just the two of us again today Satoshi-kun." Minori said taking out her lunch, "Those two are never around at recess or lunch."

As much as I wanted to tell Minori exactly why the two were up and about all the time, I decided that keeping it to myself would be more beneficial to mankind - or at least prevent some sort of controversy. Unbeknownst to Minori, those two were going around school looking for girls from other classes. Yuusaku told me and Ryuji once that one of his goals for his freshman year was to have a girlfriend by the end of the year - a less than honorable, but common goal among most young men our age. He then proposed that we would spend the break times scouting potential prospects to start off - I declined, but Ryuji was more or less interested and accompanied him on his misguided campaign. I used to look up to that guy as a mature and self-guided individual - my respect for him had gone down quite a bit. Well, he's probably just one of those guys...

I would learn later that rather than scout girls all break long (a preposterous feat, should it be accomplished), the two ended up just talking to each other. Just like the way he treated me when I first came to Ohashi, Yuusaku was a good listener and really listened closely to everything Ryuji had to say. Ryuji would oftentimes talk to me too about things like that, and less frequently with Minori, but Yuusaku was his wingman and they became best buddies. As a result, I spent most of my time with this strange girl playing with the tofu in her bento box.

"Oh... it's shaking." Minori said, astounded by the effects of her poking on the tofu, "If it's shaking it's head like that, then it's telling me I shouldn't eat it. But I'm hungry right now, so I have to eat it. Argh! Why must I be so cruel?"

"It's trying to trick you." I sneered, watching the shaking tofu as well, "It's trying to make you regret eating it - psychological warfare, I tell you!"

"You're right Satoshi-kun!" She said picking up the tofu with her chopsticks and gobbling it up, "There! I stand victorious!"

The two of us then burst into laughter. Another tidbit I kept to myself recently would be an itching concern that Minori's eccentricity was starting to rub off on me. Come to think about it though, Ritsu and I acted weird all the time - weird to the point of estranging everyone except Mugi-senpai and Yui-senpai. That probably says something about how far in we were, but that didn't matter. We were just having fun, and so is Minori here. Enjoying life with a smile, never a negative thought... that's the way to live life, right? Recovering my breath, I got back to my lunch which was an actual lunch box this time. My common fare would've been some pre-packaged convenience store stuff or a cup of instant noodles (which are just plain awesome when you throw in a raw egg - believe me!) but that changed recently and Minori was quick to notice the difference.

"Ah, you finally made your own lunch." Minori said in a congratulatory tone, "Yet another step in the road to self-sufficiency comrade Tanaka! You are making progress!"

"Actually, I'm not the one who makes this." I said, opening the lunch box to reveal a bed of rice along with a number of side dishes I wouldn't ever dream of making myself

"Hmm... so you finally found a girl huh." Minori gleaned.

"Hell no, I haven't found one yet." I denied. My eyes shifted between the lunch box and the pretty girl before me until I finally turned away, "Takasu made this for me."

"Takasu-kun did?" Minori asked surprised

"Since we were living in the same rent house, Mirano-chan said that Ryuji should make lunches for the two of us." I explained, showing her the side dishes (and making her drool), "I had to help out of course, but I get this in return. Takasu's a pretty good cook I gotta say."

"I can see that..." Minori said wiping her drool, "So which portion did you make?"

"Me?" I said, "Oh, I made the tamago and the corned beef wedges. I'm nothing compared to Takasu, but I make a mean corned beef!"

"Can I try one?" Minori asked. Giving her a nod, she picked up one of the wedges and had a bite. "UMAI~! That's some awesome stuff! The meat is so tender, but the flavor is still intact, and... is there some mayonnaise in this?"

"Yeah." I said, remembering the way Ami ate her corned beef when I was living with her, "It's a special recipe I made for a friend of mine."

"Corned beef and mayo... ingenious!" Minori continued, pretty much blown away by the mere idea of those two put together.

"Well, you haven't tasted anything yet!" I advised with a grin, transferring some yellow pickles to Minori's box "Have some of Takasu's home-made pickles - have them with rice!"

"Alrighty!" Minori said, trying out the pickle with a bit of rice. She then stiffened up and gasped, "Am I already dead? Am I in heaven?"

"They're good, ah?" I said, trying some for myself and shaking with delight, "It's a really simple dish, but with the dedication and care Takasu puts into this, nothing else compares."

"I see." Minori said with a smile, "Well then, in exchange for those wonderful morsels of heaven, I'll give you some of mine too."

Before I could say anything, she had lifted her box over mine and slid a few pieces of pork cutlet into it. It was a fair trade, I thought, but Minori offered to give me more. I courteously declined on behalf of my stomach which would be on the brink of overcapacity had I accepted any more.

"By the way..." Minori said, playing around with her food again, "I was thinking..."

"Yeah?" I asked, "What is it?"

"Ah, never mind." Minori replied, sticking out her tongue, "I was just thinking out loud again."

Shrugging, I just got back to enjoying my lunch. When the two of us were done eating though, we found ourselves with another thirty minutes of free time.

"Kitamura and Takasu aren't back yet huh..." I said watching the wall clock as I brought my things back, "What are we gonna do till then?"

"Why don't we go explore the school for a bit." Minori suggested, "We've only been here for about two weeks, so we haven't seen everything here."

True enough, the entrance, the central hallway, the first year wing and the outfield were the only places I knew in the school. It wouldn't hurt to do some snooping around ourselves. Getting up from our seats, the two of us headed out of the classroom and strolled around. Both students and teachers were abound in the hallways, chatting, eating, drinking or reading manga without end. Minori and I blended in with the crowd, enjoying the sights and sounds of the immaculate lunch period. Climbing up some flights of stairs though, we reached the top floor of the main building which was nearly devoid of people. Piquing our curiosity, we decided to check it out as well. Walking together through the halls, we noticed the nearly solemn silence of the place and were amazed by the contrast of this floor with the other floors in terms of decibels per square inch. Just then, a strange sound reached my ears... a traditional sound of sorts.

"Ah! A shamisen!" Minori noted, identifying the instrument immediately, "It's coming from over there!"

Minori led us to the source of the sound - the music room. Inside, we saw our homeroom adviser, the old man, sitting alone by himself playing a shamisen with furor. He faced the afternoon sun in the window as he played and he seemed to be at peace, until the two of us came along that is. Wanting to have a better view, Minori and I leaned against the door, making it creak audibly. The man stopped his playing and turned to us with a smile.

"Good afternoon Tanaka-san, Kusheida-san." He said in a gentle tone, "I presume you heard me play."

The two of us nodded meekly.

"Well come on in then." He said readjusting the instrument on his shoulder, "I'll play a song for you."

He patted the floor before him and Minori and I shuffled over to where he was and sat cross-legged. He then played the shamisen with a mellow tone that resounded throughout the room.

"Music truly is a wonderful thing." The man said as he played, "Though there may be hundreds of thousands of languages or dialects our there in this world of ours, music is the one language we all truly understand. It moves us to be happy. It moves us to be sad. It's a beautiful thing is it not? You my students are far apart from me in age, and we may not necessarily understand each other that much anymore but it brings us together almost magically."

"It's a means to express one's self, sensei." Minori said, watching the old man strum each string with care, "It could say things that words can never convey."

"You were listening in class. I'm glad." The man said with a smile, "Here, why don't you give it a try?"

"Sure thing." Minori said as she took the shamisen, laid it gently on her shoulder and started playing. Just as Minori said back in Vaisravana's heaven, she knew how to play the shamisen fairly well. Every sound that resonated was crisp and gentle and a look of passion could be seen on her face as she played. Our old instructor watched with delight then asked me if I too wanted to play it.

"No thanks." I declined, "I'm more of a percussion person, you see."

"Then the taiko would suit you better." The man said, handing me large sticks and showing me a set of taiko drums nearby, "Go ahead. Play as you please."

Hesitantly obliging, I took the sticks and tried each drum once. Keeping track of Minori's playing, I picked up a beat and struck the drums accordingly. The two sound the two instruments made blended well in the room making the man smile.

"An instrument playing by itself can make a wonderful sound, but when others accompany it, stand by its side if you will, then the beauty just overflows." The man said happily as we played a few bars of a traditional song. When we were done, the man nodded and a tear slid down his cheek sparking in the afternoon sun. Today, he told us, was his last day here in Ohashi High but he said that he was extremely happy, if not fulfilled.

"Not many people appreciate music nowadays..." he said wiping the tear, "but I'm sure kids like you will change that. The future is in the hands of the youth after all - your dreams will shape this world of ours."

Hearing that, I remembered something Yui-senpai told me before their performance at the Osaka live house a few months ago. She said that music was a way to reach one's dreams - to reach out to others and bring them together. Could that be what our old instructor was trying to say? Turning to us, the man put his hands on our shoulders and said,

"Always remember to listen to what the music is trying to tell you. It's the language of the heart."

With that, the school bell rang and Minori and I thanked him for letting us play for a while. Collecting his shamisen and putting it into a case, the man headed out the school campus. He wanted to play a song in the school before he finally left for retirement but got our impromptu performance instead. Seeing that old man walk out of school with the energy of a youth was an invigorating sight and Minori was amazed by what we had done. She then turned to me and said,

"About that thing earlier in lunch. I was just thinking about whether or not I should get a bass guitar. Maybe I should."

"If you really want one then do it." I said supportively, "I'll be your comrade-in-music then!"

"It's decided then!" Minori cheered. The two of us then returned to the classrooms, talking about instruments along the way. By the time we got back though, Yuusaku and Ryuuji were already there. Yuusaku greeted us as he always would but Ryuji seemed especially shy yet again. I wonder what was going on.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Epilogue**

Sawako Yamanaka walks through a crowded intermediate train station with her things in tow. Though the long commute times and the ever-present delays wore down on her, she was quite cheerful as she moved on to her next train. Her first train had brought her from Osaka to Tokyo and now she was taking a more rural train line into Ohashi. Reading the map posted on the wall, she drew an imaginary line from Osaka to Tokyo which passed through a number of different prefectures and smiled.

"This is the path those girls will be taking." She muttered to herself, "I hope they're ready for it."

Her train then arrived at the station and she hurried on over to board it. She took a seat in the middle of the train and set her things beside her as the train filled with people. A small girl with a surprising amount of luggage then took the seat in front of her, brushing aside a number of people in the process. Sawako considered talking to the girl, but decided against it, noting the girl's snarls and negative behavior. She'd be pissed off if she had a student like that - inattentive, mean-spirited and defiant. Someone like her wouldn't be a stranger in a punk rock band, she thought, but she might end up just breaking the instruments (which some bands did). Unluckily for her, this girl, Taiga Aisaka, was going to be one of her future students in Ohashi High. Unaware of their shared destination, she just took out an MP3 player and listened to some punk rock. She would then ask herself if she would ever really outgrow her musical taste. Maybe not.

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, well, my beloved readers. Things are moving along smoothly in the story and in my life so consider my hiatus over. This is subject to change though since you never know what challenges college will throw at you but bring it on! Hope you all enjoy this as much as I do - and there will be more songs! This is a song fic after all :D


	23. Minori and the Ghost

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part III, Chapter 3**

**Prologue**

Ryuji Takasu was silent as he sat in his humble room on the second floor of the two-story rent house that night. Headphones covered his ears as he sat on his chair, diligently answering the set of homework assigned to him earlier that day at school. Having read about those topics beforehand, he breezed through the homework without too much difficulty. Once he was done, he put aside the many academic textbooks and notebooks and took out another notebook. Inside that notebook were countless pieces of poetry he had written over the past few weeks - all of them were dedicated to Minori Kusheida.

Looking at these made the young man smile, but at the same time nervous. The person he was dedicating all of these to was his friend after all, but he never seemed to be able to approach her no matter how hard he tried. His pathetic attempts to approach her were only rivaled by his attempts to distance himself from her to 'even things out' and to not look awkward - which didn't seem to be helping out his situation in the least. He had known Minori for about a month now, yet he still doesn't really know that much about her... He didn't even know whether or not she already had a boyfriend. It seemed as if his chances of turning that poetry into prose for him were getting slimmer with each day he dawdled on.

"Don't worry about it Takasu." Yuusaku would tell him whenever he talked to him, "I'm sure she'll listen to you… whoever it is you're talking about anyways."

True enough, Ryuji never once mentioned his affection for Minori. During his talks with Yuusaku, he would refer to her as a girl he liked, not giving him any details whatsoever. Despite that, Yuusaku happily advised Ryuji and this made him feel reassured and optimistic. His other friend however, Satoshi Tanaka, made him feel the exact opposite.

Though Satoshi was one of the few friends Ryuji had in Ohashi High, he couldn't help but feel jealous of him. To his dismay, Satoshi was always beside Minori and they had grown to become the best of friends. On top of that, they both had jobs at the supermarket he frequented and were co-workers of his mom. As a matter of fact, the two of them were at Vaisravana's heaven that night working until a few hours past midnight as well.

Knowing all this, he couldn't help but compare himself to his friend. In Minori's eyes, he must have paled in comparison to Satoshi. She saw him as witty, energetic and sociable – everything he wasn't. It made him feel like a ghost.

Disheartened by that thought, he put his notebook aside and hid it in the recesses of his cabinet. He then went on to bed and turned off the lights. Lying there in the darkness, he eagerly waited for tomorrow and whatever chances it brought him. Hopefully, he'll have the courage to actually take them.

* * *

**The Rent House - Satoshi's Apartment**

I woke up one morning after having a dream; a terrible, terrible dream... Set about a year ago, during the time of Sakura-gakou's cultural festival, it was the nastiest dream I've ever hand. The Light Music Club was scheduled to have a performance there but the problem was that my sister Ritsu and Yui-senpai were both sick. Ui, Yui's sister, and I therefore had to replace our elder siblings in the performance. 'Well, that wouldn't be too bad now wouldn't it?' you might be thinking. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

In order to replace them, Ui and I had to dress up as our siblings to the very last detail. Ui-chan had no problem looking like Yui-senpai but I had to look like Ritsu! Damn it! I had to wear her school uniform, go to the school and have a practice session with the girls before the show! I was freakin cross-dress dressing! Thankfully it was just a dream - or at least some messed up alternate universe*.

Turning over to the side, I saw the digital alarm clock flashing '6:12 AM'. Damn... I woke up too early. Stupid dream… Freud would have a field day with that*. Lamenting the famous psychologist's scrutiny, I got up and took a quick shower, hoping to forget all about that nightmare. Brought back to the real world by jets of warm water and steam, I remembered yet another nightmare waiting to happen. Today was the day the new teacher, Sawako Yamanaka, was going to arrive. I didn't know what to do.

Pondering that thought, I stepped out of the shower when a loud thumping noise from outside reached my ears. Slipping into my school uniform, I hurried to open the door to see what was going on. Out there, on the doormat of my apartment sat a copy of the morning newspaper. Raising my eyes, I saw a figure mounted on a bicycle. The wide smile painted on her face was unmistakable. It was Minori.

"Kusheida-san!" I greeted with a smile, "You got a new job I presume."

"Yup!" Minori said, "A follower of the Mysterious Files of Labor never rests (except on days-off and holidays)! And besides, I'm going to get myself a bass remember? I'll need to save up then!"

"Right…" I said rubbing my chin, "Have you picked out the model you wanted?"

"Not really." Minori said shaking her head, "Hey… why don't you go with me to the music shop later today?"

"Sure, why not."

Though I knew close to nothing about guitars, I guess accompanying her there wouldn't be bad It reminded me of when Ritsu accompanied Mio-senpai when she was choosing her own bass a few years back. She didn't really make any suggestions (since she was too busy wandering off, to Mio-senpai's irritation) but having someone there with you as you choose can help too. Before I could say anything else though, the sound of a struggling bird reached our ears.

"Kweh! Kweh! Uwe… Kweh!"

It was Inko-chan, startled by our early morning chatter. Minori, not knowing what the hell that sound was jumped off her bike in a panic.

"Argh! What is that? A spirit, a ghost? Did I dishonor any of your ancestors Satoshi-kun?"

If my ancestors were out and about haunting this crazy world of ours, they'd be roaming somewhere in Osaka, not Ohashi... Laughing a bit, I reassured Minori, telling her that that was just Ryuji's pet Inko-chan and not anything occult. Scratching my head, I jokingly asked her if she was afraid of ghosts. She just stuck out her tongue and laughed heartily. She never really gives straight answers to questions like those, so I just sighed. Just then…

"Sorry about that Satoshi… my pet is really sensitive to sounds in the morning." Ryuji then apologized, sticking his head out the window. When he saw that it wasn't only me standing outside in the front yard though, he started to panic. "K… Ku… Kusheida-san?"

"Good morning Takasu-kun!" Minori greeted, waving to the aghast Ryuji

"Kusheida-san, what are you doing here?" Ryuji asked shyly

"I just got a job delivering the morning news!" Minori replied with a smile, "Your copy's on your porch."

"Oh, I see… thanks for that." Ryuji said, timidly opening his front door and taking the paper. An awkward silence then fell upon the three of us. Ryuji and Minori just watched each other, Minori being composed and cheerful and Ryuji absolutely devastated. I was just in the middle, watching the awkwardness unfold. The sun then rose in the distance, illuminating the scene in bright light. I then came up with a plan to break that silence.

"Hey Kusheida-san." I said turning to her, "It's almost 7AM. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Breakfast?" Minori repeated, "Come to think of it, I haven't had breakfast yet…"

"Then why don't you join Ryuji and me?" I offered with a smile, "We usually have breakfast at around this time."

"Satoshi…" Ryuji whispered to me desperately from afar, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Come on Takasu-san." I prodded, "The more the merrier right?"

"That sounds nice and all…" Minori said laughing dryly, "But I don't want to be too much trouble… you'd have to make an extra cup of rice after all and more side dishes. Are you fine with that Takasu-kun?"

Ryuji's hesitation to accept then withered away.

"It's not too much of a hassle Kusheida-san." Ryuji said with a smile, "Rice won't be an issue, and I usually make too many dishes anyways."

"Alright then!" Minori said cheerfully, "Let's go Satoshi-kun! I can't wait to try some of Takasu-kun's cooking!"

Minori and I then headed up to Ryuji's apartment and left our shoes at the anteroom. Minori offered to help the two of us cook breakfast, but we said we could handle it ourselves. Ryuji then led Minori to the family room where the family parrot while handing me an apron as he usually did. This time though, there was an air of enthusiasm about him.

"Let's make this one extra special, okay Satoshi?" He said determinedly, "We don't want to disappoint Kusheida-san now!"

"Right."

As we prepared the pots and pans, Minori put aside her messenger bag in the family room and watched the ugly parrot prance around in it's cage. Though the bird looked terrifying from afar, Minori didn't look away. She just watched it silently with a smile.

"Iiiiiin~ Iiiiiin~ ko… In… ko. Inko!"

In Minori's presence, the bird that had struggled to say it's own name was finally able to say it. Minori grinned as it started flapping its wings happily.

"You're not as scary as I thought you were." She whispered to the bird. The sound of kitchen clatter then filled the room and breakfast was underway.

* * *

Later that day, Ryuji, Minori, Yuusaku and I were seated together in the 1-A classroom, talking like we usually did before classes. As always, Minori brought out yet another interesting rant from her infinite bag of anecdotes and opinions and Yuusaku was silently prodding me to join him and Ryuji during recess and lunch in their girl-watching activities. That day though, there was another topic floating about our conversation... and it wasn't just our conversation. Everyone else was talking about it was the day of the arrival of their new teacher. An air of curiosity filled the classroom as everyone started to wonder what kind of teacher our new teacher would be.

"Hopefully she's as nice as our old one," one of my classmates would say.

"They say she has a masters degree in Classical Music Theory." Another added, "I also heard she's something else on the piano."

Comments like these were traded throughout the room as they all asked the same question; who is Sawako Yamanaka?

"What do you think Satoshi?" Yuusaku asked, "Everyone thinks she might be one hell of a teacher."

I didn't know at that time, but Yuusaku's comment was accurate in more ways than one.

"I have no idea." I shrugged, "I'll just have to wait and see."

As much as I tried to put together a picture of Sawako, all I had to build on were the scrambled bits and pieces I heard from my sister and her band mates. Other than hair color, height and the fact that she was Ritsu's former teacher, I didn't really know much about her making my anxiety way worse than I wanted it to be. Surely, she must have been close to Afternoon Tea Time... if she saw me like this then she'll probably blow the whistle. This is bad. Unable to calm myself down, I just leaned idly in my seat and watched as the minutes flew by. In a moment's time, she was going to burst into the room, introduce herself and find me out... that's what'll happen come 8:15. Anytime now...

8:15 came though, but our new teacher did not, confusing everyone in the room.

"This is strange..." Yuusaku said rubbing his chin, "New teachers shouldn't be late for their first homeroom classes..."

"Maybe she got lost." Ryuji reasoned, "She's a new teacher after all, and this is a pretty big school."

"She might still be in the teacher's lounge." I said, standing up from my seat, "I'll go look for her."

"You want us to go with you?" Minori asked

"Nah, I'll be fine." I replied with a smile. I then walked out of the room then rushed up to the fourth floor where the teacher's lounge was. I figured that the best thing to do was to confront her now rather than complicate things, but what exactly was I going to do? The moment she sees me, she'll know who I am. I'm sure of that. She will tell me to go back, I know. Knowing all of that, what was I going to say? Then, I reached the fourth floor, ready to face the music. The genre of the music I was going to face however was something I never would've expected.

The muffled sounds of an electric guitar wailing the riffs of 'Smells like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana greeted my ears the moment I got there. The sounds came from the music room, which was a few rooms away from the teacher's lounge. Since the music room was almost completely soundproof, whoever the hell was playing was playing pretty freakin' loud. With equal parts of curiosity and amazement, I opened the door to see a woman wearing a white Gibson Flying-V guitar, rocking out like there was no tomorrow. Once she saw me though, she paled up in seconds. There and then, I realized exactly what our new teacher was like. Behind all of the rumors of her classical background and piano skill, she punk to the core. Seeing her worried face, I suddenly remembered the nickname my sister made up for her when she was still her teacher. Grinning, I turned to her and said,

"Good morning, Sawa-chan."

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Epilogue**

It was 10PM in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Francis Suzuki was seated before his laptop computer with a smile on his face. As usual, he was talking with Yui Hirasawa about the most nonsensical things in the universe. In the middle of yet another one of Yui's harangues though, another message window opened with the user name 'JSuzuki_91"

"Hey little bro!" It said. It was Jun Suzuki, her elder sister who chose to stay behind in Osaka.

"Yo Jun-nee." Francis replied, "How's Osaka this time of year?"

"Osaka is always awesome, any time of year bro!" Replied Jun, accompanied by a number of emoticons, "Seriously dude, you should've just stayed here with Auntie Katherine. Is International Baccalaureate really that important?"

"IB prepares you for college, sis, something you should look into soon." Francis countered, "You're a senior now after all."

"Like you're one to talk..." Jun replied, "You spend most of your time studying for Music class, it's a surprise you still ace the other subjects."

"Well, that's because I actually study. Unlike someone I know." Francis said

"Meanie!" Jun replied with an angry emoticon

"Just kidding."

"Anyways, how's our big brother doing?" Jun gleaned, "He's in a band right?"

"Hal's doing great, Jun-nee*." Francis replied, "His band's already famous in Nova Scotia - 'Hal Explosion'*. They actually hired me as a roadie."

"You're a roadie now, huh." Jun replied, "And if I remember correctly, you got yourself a Stratocaster too. You really like rock, don't you."

"I love it." Francis replied, "I love music in general, but rock is special to me."

"I still remember the time you played the violin though." Jun said, "Back then, you said you were going to be a concert violinist."

"Don't remind me of that..." Francis replied, "I'm a guitar person now... I've given up on that a long time ago."

"Right..." Jun said, choosing not to delve in any deeper, "Anyways, guess what? Ui and I decided to join the Light Music Club!"

"Is that so? Good for you."

* * *

Messed up alternate universe - My other story, Time Out! Substitution!

Freud would have a field day with this - Kyon's memorable line after his dream with Haruhi in the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Hal Explosion - A reference to the Halifax Explosion, an event that destroyed the City of Halifax in the past. Hal Explosion is a heavy Rock n' Roll band.

Jun-nee - A shortened version of Jun onee-san. Francis and Jun are relatively close siblings, so it's his affectionate way to refer to her. Unlike Hal who spent most of his life in Canada, Jun and Francis spent a lot of time in Japan and refer to each other using Japanese convention. Hal uses typical English convention and says 'eh' noticeably more frequently.

Author's Comments: In my profile page, there's a new character poll. Choose your three favorite heroines from K-ON and Toradora!


	24. A Lesson in Rock and Roll

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part III, Chapter 4**

**Prologue**

6:32 AM. Friday. Sawako Yamanaka walked up an elevated path, lined with cherry blossoms that were just about to bloom. She dragged a small cart behind her, mostly loaded with teaching materials she had decided to recycle from her time in Sakura-gakou. At the back of the cart though sat a peculiar case, hidden behind the other boxes of her things. It was her guitar case, containing her beloved Gibson Flying-V guitar. For the past few years, Sawako had been trying her best to become a respectable and responsible teacher, learning classical piano and mastering musical theory. She was a punk rocker in her youth after all and she wanted to finally outgrow that part of her past. She had given up performing live. She had given up going on tours. She had given up on fighting popular culture, as prescribed by the universal punk doctine (though she does her part at times). However, the one thing she couldn't give up was that guitar of hers.

The white V-shaped guitar was almost a decade old yet it still played a wonderful tune when plugged into an amplifier. Remembering the fun times she had doing all of those things she had stopped doing brought a smile to her face. It wouldn't hurt to keep that small part of her past alive. After all, people never change. Quickening her pace, she reached the main campus of Ohashi High and observed her new home fondly.

"It's bigger than Sakura-gakou, that's for sure..." She said amazed. Though she had moved to Ohashi for a more peaceful lifestyle, she was glad that her workplace was very modern and very much alive. Whether or not that was another testament to her punk taste, she didn't know. Shrugging, she carried on to the main building where the staff lounge was situated. There, at the front door stood a woman about her age who seemed just about ready to cry.

"Yuri-chan." She said with a smile, "It's been a while."

"Sawako!" The woman replied, embracing Sawako tightly, "You made it! How are you old friend?"

"I'm doing good." She answered, returning her embrace, "A little pissed off about the state of the Japanese transit system, but I'm doing good."

"Still the same Sawako, huh." Yuri laughed. She then saw the guitar case at the back of Sawako's cart and said, "You still have the Flying-V, too... still can't let go of it, huh?"

"There are some things in life you just can't let go of Yuri." Sawako reasoned, "This is one of them."

"I see." Yuri nodded, "Well, anyways, welcome to Ohashi High. I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"Hopefully." Sawako said a little hopefully. Her friend then chuckled and warned,

"Just be sure not to go metal on the freshmen. You might traumatize them for life after all."

"Hey! I trashed that stupid live-house as a sign of protest!" Sawako argued passionately, "They don't have a clue what good music is! If I had some gasoline and matches then..."

"That's exactly why I'm warning you!" Yuri reiterated, "We don't want our new teacher to be an arsonist."

"Well don't worry, I didn't burn down the last school I was in." Sawako reassured. The two of them then had a burst of laughter.

"So..." Yuri said, after recovering from her lack of breath, "have you found someone yet?"

"Someone?" Sawako asked, "Oh... you mean that..."

The two of them looked at each other's ring fingers and noticed the apparent absence of a ring of any kind. They could only sigh.

"I don't have time for that sort of thing anymore, Yuri." Sawako said to her friend, "I'm already in my thirties after all... though I may not look like it, but yeah."

"That's not very reassuring for me you know..." Yuri said, "I'm turning thirty next year! I want to get married before that, you know."

"Well, at least you still have a chance." Sawako said, "I've given up on that sort of stuff... ever since that bastard Hal... damn him... I became a punk rocker because of him..."

"Right... Hal." Yuri said, somehow remembering him as well, "If that's your choice then, I can't really argue with you. I'll keep looking for mine."

"You have my support." Sawako said with a wink, "Anyways, I need a place to store my guitar. I don't want the students or the other profs to see it, and I don't have space in my apartment."

"The music room is down the hall." Yuri said, "You can probably keep it in the storage room there."

"Thanks." Sawako said, leaving her trolley of materials and picking up her guitar. Before she could leave though, Yuri called out to her friend.

"There's an amplifier in the music room too." She said with a nudging grin, "Just be sure to get to your class in time, got it?"

"Yeah." Sawako said delightedly. She then headed over to the music room down the hall. Just as Yuri said, the amplifier sat there in the corner of the room beside a few guitar cords hanging about. The teacher then laid down her guitar case and opened it, revealing her white Gibson Flying-V guitar. Her excitement rose as she took one of the cords and plugged her guitar into the amp. She flipped the switch, and the oh so familiar hum of the amp greeted her ears. It was glorious.

"A few chords wouldn't hurt..." she said as she pressed the overdrive button, "just this once..."

She then strummed her guitar and a powerful chord roared like a lion. It brought a tear to her eye. Moving her fingers down the fretboard, she strummed again. Before she knew it, she was playing the lead guitar part of _Smells Like Teen Spirit_ by Nirvana. Lost in the moment, the teacher was banging her head, making her hair fly out wildly in the air. In that moment, the high school girl she thought she had long left behind came back to life. She felt no shame. She felt no remorse. She felt punk.

Her moment of glory however would be cut short as the doors of the music room creaked open. A young man stood in awe as he watched this scene unfold before him. It was Satoshi Tainaka.

"Good morning, Sawa-chan."

* * *

There in the music room, Satoshi was standing face to face with Ritsu's former teacher, Sawakao Yamanaka. The morning sunlight poured into the room and fleshed out the Gibson Flying-V guitar that hung over her shoulder. The lady, though she had stopped playing, looked like a rock star in her prime. Her hair was a beautiful mess and her fingers were solidly fretted on a power chord. The screech of the half-maxed drive of the amplifier echoed strongly in the room and made it absolutely clear. She was a rock star.

"Who are you?" Sawako asked, not really being able to see Satoshi from behind the threshold, "And how do you know _that_ name?"

There was a hint of desperation in her voice as she started fidgeting around. The fact that whoever was at the door knew her as 'Sawa-chan' didn't help either.

Seeing her like this, Satoshi's heart beat nervously as he stepped into the room to show himself to the disgruntled teacher. Without a doubt, this was Ritsu's former teacher, someone who had the power to send him packing back to Osaka. Despite this, he wasn't afraid. Reaching into his bag, he took out a set of drumsticks and made his way to the drum set at the end of the room. Somehow, something inside prodded him onwards. Perhaps, he thought, she would understand him.

"H… hey, answer me." She demanded, wondering why a student would ignore a teacher like that. There wasn't any anger in her voice, Satoshi noted. In fact, she seemed rather intrigued by his act of defiance. Satoshi saw this and confirmed his suspicion; she had a punk soul.

"Sensei," Satoshi asked as he seated himself before the drum set, "I have a question."

"Go ahead…" Sawako replied, not really sure what this person was planning.

"What is rock n' roll?"

"Rock n' roll…" She repeated dazedly, "That's…"

"It's about passionate hearts." Satoshi interrupted, intriguing the teacher even more, "It's about hearts that express themselves through instruments and music. Anger, Happiness, Sadness… Love."

"It's about always moving forward," the two of them said in tandem, "not giving a damn about what lies ahead."

Satoshi then raised his drumsticks and started laying down the beat for _Smells Like Teen Spirit_, the song Sawako had been playing just moments ago. Sawako looked at the young man amazed then started to play as well. Before long, the two of them were rocking out like there was no tomorrow, lost in the rock n' roll.

The song ended and Sawako turned to Satoshi with a smile.

"You wouldn't happen to be… Tainaka-san's brother, would you?"

"I'm not _just_ Ritsu's brother. I'm more than just that." Satoshi said firmly, "I'm Satoshi Tainaka."

"I knew you were still alive." Sawako said, "Like Tainaka-san said, it'll take more than cold water to bring you down… and I can see why. You're a rocker too."

"Ritsu told me that once or twice…" Satoshi said, "so I guess you could say that."

"They're looking for you, you know." Sawako then said, "They're going on tour just for you."

"I know that." Satoshi replied, "And they will find me, in my own time."

Sawako's smile then soured, not really comfortable with that statement of his. He had to say something.

"I love my sister, don't get me wrong, but I can't face her after all that time." Satoshi said, "When we do meet again, I want to show her that I've grown. I want to show her that I've found myself. I want to show her who Satoshi Tainaka really is… If I don't, then she will never find me... and I will never find myself."

Sawako then sighed.

"It can't be helped then." She shrugged, "Fine, I _won't_ tell the girls where you are."

"Thank you for understanding, Yamanaka-sensei." Satoshi said, bowing deeply. The gesture and the appropriate name made her smile.

"However, you will have to play by _**my**_ rules." She warned, "First of all, you _**will**_ forget about that ridiculous nickname."

"Yes ma'am." I chuckled, "Ritsu probably called you that all the time."

"So did Hirasawa-san… but don't remind me." Sawako mumbled, "Second, from this day onwards, you _**will**_ be my student assistant and will do _**everything**_ I tell you to do. Got it?"

"Yeah." Satoshi nodded eagerly

"Third." She said sternly, "Mention _**anything**_ about me and rock n' roll, punk rock and/or death metal in the same sentence and I _**will**_ make your life a living hell!"

"Hey, hey, I won't!" Satoshi panicked, making Sawako laugh.

"Finally…" she said, mellowing up, "promise me that you will see them again someday. You can't run away forever, you know."

"I'm not running away, I'm moving forward." Satoshi reasoned, laughing a little bit. Sawako however was not pleased. "Don't worry, I'm a man of my word."

"Alright then." Sawako said, turning off the amplifier and hiding her guitar, "So we're ten minutes late for class, let's go."

"Yes, Yamanaka-sensei."

The two of them then marched out of the music room and headed for the 1-A classroom.

"By the way." Satoshi said, turning to his new teacher, "I have a friend who's looking for a good bass guitar. She wanted me to go with her, but I don't know a thing about guitars. I was wondering if you could help her pick one out."

"Why not?" Sawako said, "You're not planning to form a band, are you?"

"Maybe." Satoshi replied, "I don't know yet."

"Heh, this might be Osaka all over again." Sawako laughed.

"What was that, ma'am?"

"Nothing."

The two then reached the 1-A classroom and Sawako's first homeroom class in Ohashi began.

"My name is Sawako Yamanaka, and I will be your teacher from now on." She said as she chalked her name up on the blackboard, "I don't have a lot of teaching experience as of now, but I will do my best to guide you through this school year. Nice to meet you all."

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

**Epilogue**

A few classrooms away, in the class of 1-T, there was a commotion brewing. The class advisor, Yuri Koigakubo was as pale as a ghost as a note was delivered to her by one of the staff in the middle of class. She had been silent for the past minute or so and her students were getting rather edgy.

"Yuri-chan, what's going on?" Asked a young man casually.

"I... it's nothing Haruta-kun," Yuri said, still shaken up by that paper, "l... let's get back to business, shall we? Midterms are coming up after all."

With that, the class more or less calmed down. Earlier that day, a transfer student from Tokyo had applied to study in Ohashi High and Yuri was the girl's interviewee. The girl was Taiga Aisaka, a mean spirit who gave off an aura of fury that would strike fear in even the toughest of delinquents. Yuri herself had trouble even talking to the girl and was surprised she made it out of the interview room alive. The young teacher had transferred the girl's application over to the Principal, hoping that it be denied, but it passed. What's worse was, as she had just learned, she was going to be her student from now on. It was going to be a tough year.


	25. New Guitar, Old Guitar

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part III, Chapter 5**

'Hey, hey, hey…" I warned as Ryuji Takasu got on my bike, "Are you _absolutely_ sure you want to ride on _my _bike?"

"Why not?" Ryuji asked, "Your bike's practically a two-seater and Yuusaku's isn't."

"Well… why don't you ride with Kushieda-san?" I suggested as I released the bike brake, "She's got a two-seater too, you know… and her bike isn't kept together by duct-tape and haphazard welding…"

In a normal situation, a sane man would probably have made a choice that prioritized his safety after all. However, we weren't exactly in a normal situation.

"But… you can't share a bike with a girl…" Ryuji said shyly, "I mean, wouldn't that be awkward?"

True… true. Minori probably wouldn't find it weird, being the weirdo-slash-tomboy that she was. The mere thought of it though just knocked the living daylights out of Ryuji here. It reminded me of that time my friend Francis had to share a bike with my sister Ritsu back in the day. She didn't mind at all, but Francis was flabbergasted to say the least… Sheesh, us guys need to get a hold of ourselves... these girls are humiliating us out there!

"Hurry up you two." Yuusaku said as he and Minori stopped their bikes in front of us, "The music store won't be open all day, you know."

"Almost ready…" I said, strapping my things onto the bike, "There. Let's go."

With that, the four of us headed off to downtown Ohashi. Today was the day Minori Kushieda was going to pick out her bass guitar and everyone was more than happy to help out. If I remembered correctly, wasn't it only supposed to be me and Minori heading out today? Earlier today, Yuusaku and Ryuji found out about it and were eager to tag along. Since they had nothing else to do, they figured they might as well come along with us. How nice of them… but did they really know anything about bass guitars? I'm guessing they're just there to hang out… but the more the merrier right? I mean Ritsu never really helped Mio-senpai out when she was picking her bass – it's probably the same concept here.

"So, is Yamanaka-sensei really going to help me out too?" Minori asked as the three of us pedaled in formation.

"Yeah." I said, "She's a music teacher after all – she'd happily help her students with anything vaguely related to music."

"But ain't picking a bass guitar a little out of her league?" Minori asked, "I mean, she's a classical music teacher after all… but I do get the feeling classical ain't the only thing she likes…, know what I'm saying?"

Somehow, that all made sense to me. A month of exposure to Kusheida-radiation and I was already able to decipher a good deal of her mentality… at the expense of adopting some of it as my own.

Kusheida-radiation aside though, Minori is usually an excellent judge of character but she was way off this time. Picking out a bass guitar wasn't out of Sawa-chan's league. In fact it was _her_ league and she was a professional. She may have been on the punk extreme end of the spectrum, but she was a professional nonetheless. Minori didn't know that, and it was probably better to keep it that way for now. I had a promise with Sawa-chan after all, sealed in rock n' roll – keep her identity secret and she'll keep mine as well. Tis' a fair deal.

Halfway to our destination, my reluctant passenger then tapped my back and called my attention.

"Hey Satoshi. D'ya mind if you go a little slower?"

"Eh?" I asked, slowing down a little bit, "What's up? Something you want to talk about?"

"I've been meaning to ask you something lately dude…" he confirmed, his hesitation growing exponentially as he made sure we were out of earshot of our companions, "What'cha think of Minori?"

What did I think of Minori? Hah! Hey dude, don't get me started on Minori – I'd spend a whole day talking about her. She was, without a doubt, the strangest and most eccentric person I knew aside from Yui-senpai. Everything she says and does amazes me, but that's not necessarily a good thing now, is it? Spend a whole day with her in her full-throttle mode and it'll be a sight to behold. However,

"She's a cool girl." I said honestly, "Sure, she's crazy, but she's one hell of a friend. You'll probably need to take a course on her lingo to understand her completely, but that's just her, you know?"

"I see…" Ryuji said, probably thinking the same thing. "Then…"

"Then?" I prodded, wondering why he was fidgeting so much

"Do you like her?"

Whoa, what? Me, liking Minori? Heck no! As pretty as she was, I wouldn't be able to stay sane with someone like her as my other half. It's like asking me if I wanted to go out with Yui-senpai or something… though I wouldn't have minded dating Ui if I had the chance*… but, meh. Asking me something like that was like asking me if I wanted to risk attending Freudian psychiatry sessions for the rest of my life.

"She's just a friend." I replied plainly, "I know we're together all the time, but hey, she's fun to be with. That's all."

"Oh, okay." Ryuji replied, a tinge of relief evident in his voice

"Why'd you ask?" I asked, "You wouldn't happen to like her now, would you?"

My bike companion then fell silent. I got him hook line and sinker. He then gulped and admitted that he did like Minori. No wonder why he was so eager to know I didn't plan on dating her.

"Well, you'll have to impress her then." I said laughing, "You'll have a pretty good chance today dude – picking out her first instrument is a big thing after all."

"Right." Ryuji said in an understanding voice, "Thanks man."

"No problem."

Ryuji was determined, I could tell that much. Exactly why he was so worked up however still escapes me. Imagining the two of them as a couple was a little strange – Ryuji was the silent type and Minori was the uber-enthusiastic one. However, I'm not exactly the best judge of character… I don't exactly have this '_Minori-radar_' Minori says she has after all. Shrugging, I just pedaled on to catch up with the rest and eventually reached the music store. Parking our bikes in the nearby bike park, the four of us marched into the store to be greeted by a familiar figure.

"Oh, you guys are finally here." The figure said with a smile. It was Sawako Yamanaka, our new music teacher.

"Yamanaka-sensei!" Minori greeted happily, "Thanks for coming over to help me out. I'm totally new to this stuff, you see."

"No worries, no worries." Sawako reassured, "Picking out your first instrument can be a tough ordeal after all. Since you're going to be my student, I might as well help out."

She then turned to the rest of us and asked that same question she had asked me earlier that day,

"Would you happen to be planning to form a band?" She said intrigued, "One, two, three, four… that's enough members."

"I don't think so." Yuusaku denied calmly, "We're all still amateurs after all – we don't really have much experience playing instruments, let alone performing live. Except for Satoshi, that is – he's a seasoned drummer."

"Hey… don't put me to the spotlight, man…" I groaned

"But that's the fun thing about it, isn't it?" Sawako said, "When one first starts a band, of course everyone there will amateur - you're starting out from the ground up after all! That's why it'll start out as an amateur band. Forming a band from scratch... It's about the thrill of getting better and better and performing to test your limits… to see how far you can go… to see how different you can be… to see how you can stamp your name on the music scene without selling your soul to the record companies! That's what it's about!"

The impassioned teacher's speech reciprocated only silence from us four, making her realize her punk side was showing. She was just about to turn a pep talk into a punk rant against the major recording labels after all and the oppression of indie bands… I guess it'll take a lot of work to keep _that_ side of her hidden…

"But enough about that, ahehe." Sawako said, giving a dry laugh to cover herself up, "We're here to pick out a bass for Miss Kushieda here, right?"

Luckily for her, Yuusaku and Ryuji were willing enough to buy her feint. The four of us nodded and she sighed in relief. We all then walked to the center of the shop where electric guitars hung from the walls in neat rows and columns.

"This is amazing…" Ryuji said, unable to believe the number of guitars in display all around him, "are those even guitars?"

Seems he didn't even know what they were…

"Of course these are guitars Mr. Takasu." Sawako said, picking up a Fender Telecaster, "These are _electric_ guitars. You're probably only familiar with the acoustic ones."

"Perhaps…" Ryuji said, "but aren't they supposed to have holes? How will those things make sound?"

"They can still make sound too." Sawako said, strumming on the guitar, "But if you want to make it clearer, you plug it to an amplifier."

"Oh…" Ryuji said, slowly understanding the concept of the instrument

"But these are electric guitars," Sawako added, "we're looking for electric bass guitars today for Miss Kushieda."

"Yup." Minori said with a warm smile, "Like this one over here!"

The girl then picked up the first bass that caught her eye; a Gibson Thunderbird.

"The Gibson Thunderbird…" Sawako noted fondly as Minori put it on, "That's a work of art right there miss, and it's fairly inexpensive too."

"Precisely!" Minori said cheerfully, "It looked pretty _and_ had a pretty price tag!"

She then turned to Ryuji to show him what she had been looking for.

"Here Takasu-kun!" She said, "This is a bass guitar."

"Whoa!" Ryuji exclaimed in disbelief, "That guitar only has four strings! Aren't they supposed to have six?"

Heh, this guy truly was an amateur. Well… everyone here but Sawa-chan was an amateur after all.

"Nope!" Minori said shaking her head, "Basses are really like this."

She then played a simple tune for him, but it only made him more confused than before.

"It's got a different sound from a guitar." Ryuji said. Clearly, he wasn't getting it. "It sounds lower and deeper, sorta..."

"Think of it this way, dude." I explained, "The bass is more or less the supporter of the band. They provide the bassline along with the drums that keeps the other musicians in track."

"Ah, I see…" Ryuji said, finally getting the hang of it.

"Here, why don't you see for yourself." Sawako said, handing Ryuji the Telecaster, "Do you know how to play the guitar?"

"Sorta…" Ryuji said as he put it on, "Just the acoustic though… my dad… uh… used to play, you see. It's a long story."

Ryuji's dad? If I remembered correctly, I never once saw Ryuji's dad in my whole stay here in Ohashi. It was only Yasuko and Ryuji living in the quaint Takasu residence after all, but they also never mentioned him either. It was probably because I never asked…

"Okay, here goes." Ryuji said, fretting a major chord and strumming the electric guitar like an acoustic. He played a classical tune, the chorus of an old Spanish love song and everyone watched him with intrigue. His fingers weren't very agile and often unintentionally muted a string or too, but this was probably since he doesn't really play much in recent time. However his fingers knew the chords and his hand knew how to strum at the strings. He wasn't a stranger to the guitar.

"Kushieda-san," Yuusaku said, "your turn. Follow him."

"Right." Minori said with a smile. Recognizing the pattern Ryuji was playing, she played along and followed his rhythm. Before long, those four bars of classical music had become an entrancing melody – they were in sync. The song ended soon enough and Minori faced everyone with a determined face.

"I've decided – I'm getting this bass."

"What about you Mr. Takasu?" Sawako asked Ryuji, pointing to the Telecaster hanging over his shoulder, "Are you getting this one too?"

"I dunno…" Ryuji said, "I don't exactly have money to spend on these kinds of things."

"Ah, that's a shame." Sawako said shaking her head, "You've got the chops of a guitarist, young man. When you played, I saw a hidden passion just waiting to be seen… like a ghost wanting to be revealed..."

"Uwah~!" Minori suddenly gasped, covering her ears, "GHOST? WHERE?"

Sawa-chan… that was a terrible simile to use in front of Minori… Aside from her eccentricity and energy, she was quite the fraidy-cat when it came to the occult. Sawako and Ryuji were aghast by Minori's panic attack and Yuusaku and I, her friends who knew about this, were quick to get on damage control.

"Never mind that. Ahehe." Sawako said, scratching her face. We calmed Minori down eventually and she paid for the bass. She also added an amplifier, a cord and a guitar case and she was ready to go.

"50,000 kinsu!" Minori cried passionately as she slammed her brown salary envelope onto the checkout counter, "The Mysterious Files of Labor have brought me victory today! WAHAHAHA~!"

As much as Ryuji and Sawako were curious about the files, they decided not to ask about it today. Minori got her bass and she was happy – that was enough to satisfy them for now. Minori then turned to Ryuji and said,

"Don't be afraid to show what you're good at. If you really like doing something, then do it! If you just keep things to yourself, it'll never grow."

"Right. Thanks."

Everyone then went on their separate way and I found myself giving Ryuji a ride home again. All throughout the trip, he was silent and didn't say a word as if he was contemplating something. I decided not to delve into it too much - it was none of my business after all. If he wanted to tell me about it, then he would. I should let this one slide.

We then reached the rent house after a while. He thanked me then headed straight for their apartment. Ryuji locked the door behind him then got into his room. He put his things neatly aside then went before the his sliding closet in his room. He slid it open and rifled through the many things he had kept there - the poetry he had dedicated to Minori, the mix tapes he had made in the past and a lot of other things he had accumulated throughout the years. Then, in the deep, dark corner of the closet, he found it - an old acoustic guitar in poor condition. All the strings were rusty, threads struck out from the strings and quite a few of the strings themselves were broken. This was his father's guitar, a testament to the one time Ryuji ever saw his father.

"Mom used to tell me stories about you, dad." Ryuji said to the guitar as he picked it up, "She would always go on about how cool you were and how high up you were in the Yakuza… She told me this because you were never around. I hated you."

The young man's grip on the fretboard tightened, but loosened as he took a deep breath,

"Then there was that one time I saw you… pinstripe coat and tie, fedora, Cuban cigar, the smell of high quality alcohol, and those eyes… those damn eyes I inherited from you. I felt ashamed to have you as a father… but then, you showed me this. You knew I was pissed off at you, so you didn't say a word to me. You just played that guitar… that Spanish tune that is still with me today… You left your guitar here and you taught me how to play. Then, the next day, you were killed… found floating in the Sea of Japan, with those damn magazines under your coat mom always talked about. I knew they weren't enough to protect you from stabbing, but… at that point, it wasn't funny for either of us. However…"

Ryuji said as he bit his lip,

"Now… I guess I have to thank you. Dad. This is the one thing I inherited from you that I can truly appreciate… the one facet of you that reminded me you weren't a heartless Yakuza drone, but a human being. Only now do I realize it… Thank you. If only you were alive... I might have acted differently, but it's too late for that. Rest in peace."

Ryuji then sighed.

"I should get new strings."

**To Be Continued**

**

* * *

**

**Author's Notes:** Here is a big thanks to all my readers - whether you be a follower of Time Out! Substitution or Reaching for the Stars (or Red Dawn - c'mon, someone out there has probably read it all XD). Writing for you has been truly wonderful and I look forward to finishing all these stories for you all! Thank you very much!

though I wouldn't have minded dating Ui if I had the chance* - reference to my other work 'Time Out! Substitution!' and the upcoming sequel 'Full Court Press!'**  
**


	26. Taiga, The Palmtop Tiger

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part III, Chapter 6**

It was 7:55 AM in the cafeteria of Ohashi High. Kouji Haruta, just like the rest of the hundred or so students hanging about the place were minding their own business. Seated beside him was Noto Hisamitsu, one of the friends Kouji had made since he had transferred from Osaka a number of months ago. The two of them were chatting about nonsense, in almost the same fashion he had done when he was still in Osaka. This time though, there were no cynical remarks and no intellectual counterarguments. There was only total agreement.

"Yuri-chan's a nice teacher," Kouji would say, "but man, English is so tough."

"I know what you mean." Noto would reply, "English does get pretty boring at times."

Despite these agreements though, Noto's grades were significantly higher than Kouji's, but their laziness was more or less at the same level.

Also in the cafeteria was a group of delinquents. Four or five of them were standing in formation by the entrance. They had been talking about the spoils of their previous ventures and were planning their next ones just for the heck of it. They were tough, muscular guys clad in studded leather jackets, chains and shades who more or less scared the living daylights out of the Ohashi High students. The teachers would love to reprimand them, but they didn't do anything bad _inside_ of school. They were just standing there, after all. Outside of school though was a different story, and teachers have no jurisdiction over them there.

It was at around that time that a certain small girl walked into the cafeteria with a fierce determination, wanting to grab a juice box before Homeroom began. In her furious rush, she bumped into one of the delinquents and all eyes were turned to them.

"Oh shoot…" Kouji whispered, tapping Noto in the shoulder, "That girl just ran into those dudes…"

"This is bad…" Noto agreed, "We should…"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, JACKASS!" The girl then cried angrily, frightening the delinquent she had run into. He and the other delinquents then retreated sheepishly and the whole room was amazed.

"I think we're going to have a new queen of the campus." Kouji said with a grin. "Small, beautiful and absolutely terrifying… Palmtop Tiger."

There in that moment, the infamous title of Taiga Aisaka was coined by Kouji Haruta. It was one for the history books.

"Could she be that girl Koigakubo-sensei was talking about?" Noto asked

"I don't know." Kouji said, "But she could be. That'll make for an interesting year."

* * *

"Alright class," Said Yuri as she tried to silence the rowdy 1-T classroom, "As you know, our transfer student from Tokyo is finally here so please try to behave. Uhm, Aisaka-san, you may come in now."

At her cue, the same small girl Kouji and Noto had seen walked into the classroom dejectedly with her juice box still in hand. Her grumpy face and frightening aura made the students in the front row cringe, but made Kouji all the more excited.

"This is Taiga Aisaka," Yuri said, doing the introduction for her, "She will be your classmate from now on."

A number of people tried to say hello, but were afraid of the girl replying with vulgar shouting. They just kept their silence. Kouji however, being the clown that he was, wasn't afraid and was the only person in class to rise up to greet the newcomer.

"Welcome to our class Aisaka-san." He said with an unflinching smile. Yuri was surprised, Noto was intrigued, Aisaka was dazed and the class felt like the Apocalypse was about to take place.

"What the…" Taiga grumbled, having expected the whole class to stay silent, "you're not, afraid of me?"

"Of course not." Kouji said proudly, "You're the Palmtop Tiger. Small and beautiful, like you would fit in a hand, and absolutely fierce like a tiger!"

At this point, Yuri and a number of the 1-T students had fainted and Taiga was shivering in absolute rage.

"You're like a pop idol or something!" Kouji added as if it were nothing, "Ain't that nice?"

"Why you!" Taiga roared, but Kouji's misguided confidence only inflated

"Oh, perfect, perfect." Kouji smirked, "I can see the Tiger part _really_ clearly now."

"You've crossed the line buddy." Taiga roared again, "EAAAAARGH!"

Pushing aside a number of students and desks, Taiga pounced at the confident Kouji who was already running out of the classroom.

"Catch me if you can!" He cried, fueling the girl's anger.

Thus, an epic chase took place in the first year wing of Osaka High. Shocked by the furious screaming and out-of-place laughing, classes were interrupted left and right and students peered out of the classroom to see what the hell was going on. Kouji and Taiga zipped down the hallway as Kouji ran away from Taiga's kicks. The girl then stopped, took of her shoes and threw them at the running man, barely missing him by an inch. Having lost her restraining shoes, the girl now ran at top speed and was catching up to Kouji.

Taiga closed the distance between her and Kouji and prepared to launch herself in a flying kick. By the time she was in striking distance, they had reached the 1-A classroom where Ryuji, Satoshi and Yuusaku were watching along with their peers. Kouji then caught a glimpse of Satoshi and vice versa, but immediately turned his attention to his own safety. Then, the girl went for the kill and went airborne.

"Oh crap…" Satoshi grumbled, as the classmates behind him, Ryuji and Yuusaku accidentally pushed them into interdiction range, "This isn't going to be a good day."

WHAM!

The kick smacked the trio with such force that they could have swore they were flying for a moment. The girl hissed, irritated that the three got in her way and carried on the chase. Lying there on the hallway floor, the three men were now surrounded by their worried classmates.

"Are you three alright?" Minori asked, kneeling down before them, "Well... you aren't exactly alright..."

"Argh…" Satoshi moaned, rubbing his sore chest

"Dang…" Ryuji grumbled, "We should go to the infirmary…"

The two were writing in pain, having been subject to an incredible amount of force. Their third companion, who received just about the same amount of punishment from the flying kick however wasn't moaning or grumbling.

"Whoa…" Yuusaku said almost as if he were amazed. His glasses had flown off and were broken, but his eyes seemed more delighted than pained. "That was… amazing."

Ryuji and Satoshi then turned to him and wondered what the hell was going on through their friend's mind. Minori however just smiled. Indeed, it was going to be an interesting year.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Vice President Kano," a freshman member of the Student Council said as he entered a sophomore classroom, "come out here quick!"

Getting out of her seat, the Vice President walked over to the classroom entrance and asked the freshman what was going on."

"There's a commotion going on in the Freshman wing."

"Is there, now?" Replied the Vice President.

"Yes," The freshman said, explaining the situation to her in detail, "what should we do?"

"Assemble the disciplinary committee!" Kano then said authoritatively, "I want to have a chat with those troublemakers."

"Right away." The man said

"Oh, and bring in those three fellows who got nailed too." Kano added, "They're effectively witnesses, so we'll need them on board."

"Very well."

The man left and the girl returned to her seat.

"Troublemakers, huh." Kano said to herself, "I might as well have a little fun, then."


	27. Creative Reparations

**Author's Notes:** Hello everyone and Happy New Year! I apologize for the long delay in this story since I've been focused on Full Court Press recently. I'll do my best to keep this story going though - I already know where to bring this one :D. Thank you for your patience!

* * *

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part III, Chapter 7**

"Bring in the troublemakers!" Cried the vice-president of the Ohashi High student council. With that command, two members of the Ohashi Judo Team marched in with Taiga Aisaka and Kouji Haruta, standing in between them to keep Taiga from maiming the clown. Taiga glared defiantly at the vice president, but this only made her smirk.

"Aisaka-san, Ohashi High is a school that values discipline and honors its rules." Said Kano Sumire with a grin, "Even though you are new to the school, it is against school rules to go off and kick people in the hallway. And my, starting a fight the very day you come to this school… in first period too?"

"What?" Taiga growled, "Should I just be punching people instead?"

"Stubborn little rat, you are." Kano said with a raised brow. She then turned to Kouji and said, "The same goes for you Mr. Haruta. Teasing a new student like that is bound to get you into trouble."

"Aww, come on Sumire-senpai!" Kouji groaned, "She just couldn't take a joke! Palmtop Tiger is the perfect name for her, ain't that right?"

Taiga just folded her arms angrily to keep herself from unleashing her fists of fury. Getting the two to apologize to each other seemed like an impossible task and Kano understood this all too well.

"I don't expect either of you to forgive the other, though I highly recommend it…" Kano said, "But, you two should at least apologize to these three. Your horsing around got them hurt badly."

Standing there at the far end of the room were Ryuji Takasu, Yuusaku Kitamura and Satoshi Tainaka, all of them with bandages on their faces. Their class adviser, Sawako Yamanaka was there as well with mixed feelings – one side concerned for her injured students and the other fascinated by the Palmtop Tiger and the clown. At the vice president's command, the two troublemakers bowed to the victims in apology but Kano was not satisfied with just this.

"I don't believe justice has been done just yet." She said sternly, "Another punishment has to be exacted."

"Hey you…" Taiga said, shaking in fury, "If you think that just because you're the vice president of the student council , you can go around tyrannizing people like this then you're no better than me."

"Oh? But I'm actually being kind, Aisaka-san." Kano said calmly, "The rulebook states that blatant teasing is punishable by temporary suspension, running around the halls is punishable by extended cleaning duty and afterschool work and fighting is punishable by expulsion. I'm not handing down any of these for your sake already… Ohashi High is the only High School in the area… unless you want to start packing for Tokyo again."

At the mention of Tokyo, Taiga was silenced and Kano understood that she was going to have her way with this argument.

"I can't think of any appropriate punishment for either of you two." The vice president said, tucking her hair behind her ear, "I'll leave the punishment to the victims. So what do you say?"

"You're asking us to punish them instead?" Yuusaku said, "We can't do that! We may have been the victims of their horsing around, but I'm sure it wasn't intentional."

"Oy, Yuusaku…" Satoshi whispered to the bespectacled man, "You could at least ask for a temporary restraining order from those two. That girl looks really fierce…"

"Yeah…" Ryuji whispered as well, attempting to coerce their impromptu spokesperson to reconsider, "I don't think I could survive being around that girl either."

"But guys, they're people too. We can't just shut them out like that." Yuusaku reasoned, "Maybe if we get to know them better, that view will change."

"What?" Satoshi argued, "You really think so? I care about my life, you know."

"Plus." Yuusaku chuckled, "Aisaka-san seems cute."

Satoshi and Ryuji were aghast at that bold yet whispered statement. Yuusaku then adjusted his glasses as if he had already had come up with a plan. They felt like their friend was just about to start a Crusade straight into the ninth circle of hell.

"Sumire-senpai." Yuusaku said with determination, "Does Ohashi High have a Light Music Club?"

"A Light Music Club?" Kano said, wondering if he heard right, "Our school has some other musical organizations, but a Light Music Club, no."

"Well then, we would like to draft the charter for one now." Yuusaku continued, "I think this would be the best solution."

"L… Light Music Club?" Satoshi stammered, "Are you serious?"

"Very." Yuusaku said, "And instead of punishing them, Haruta-san and Aisaka-san will be part of that club for at least a year."

"Huh!"

Ryuji, Satoshi and Taiga gasped in shock. Sawako however was ever so amused.

"I think it would be a good idea. Please do consider that option Sumire-san." Sawako then said with a smirk, "Having them participate in club activities would be a proper remedy for this mess. Aisaka-san would be able to vent her anger out through music and Haruta-san would have something productive to do. It would be like hitting two birds with one stone."

"That might actually work Kitamura-kun." Kano said with a smile, "You seem to have a penchant for planning… there's an aura of a student council member about you."

"I was part of the student council back in Middle School." Yuusaku said passionately, this time enthralled by the vice president's interest in him. Satoshi and Ryuji felt a little ashamed to be associated with Yuusaku for that one moment.

"I figured as much." Kano said, "Alright then, if we establish the Ohashi High Light Music Club, it will need a president and at least four members to operate."

"I will be the president." Yuusaku replied immediately, "The members will be Aisaka-san, Haruta-san, Tanaka-san, Takasu-san and Kusheida-san."

"This isn't going to end well…" Ryuji moaned weakly. Satoshi agreed for reasons of his own. Not only would this mean that he would have to stay with a possibly homicidal girl after school whenever he or Minori didn't have work, he would be staying with someone who knows him all the way back from Osaka. Already, Kouji Haruta was looking at Satoshi as if he recognized him but couldn't seem to make the connection. That would buy Satoshi some time to plan something out.

The papers for the establishment of the Ohashi High Light Music Club were drafted and the founding members were asked to sign it for clerical purposes. Satoshi felt like he was selling his freedom, risking being found out yet again. However, this was a chance for him to finally form that band he had wanted to be ever since he was in Osaka. Perhaps Sawako and Yuusaku did that for him too.

With such a line up though, would they be able to make good music? Satoshi could only hope.

**To Be Continued**


	28. The Light Music Club of Ohashi High

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Part III, Chapter 8**

The Light Music Club of Sakura-gakou was an organization that Satoshi Tainaka looked upon with mixed feelings. On one hand, he admired them for their skill, talent and drive in making music and performing on stage for scores of people. On the other, he was absolutely jealous of them for the exact same reasons. The boy who had run away had mixed feelings indeed.

In any case, his view could be summed up by a single description. The Light Music Club of Sakura-gakou to him was an absolute mystery. How is it that those five girls can capture the ears and hearts of thousands and still have time to laze around and have tea? It was a mystery he had been longing to understand for the longest time and as he, Yuusaku, Ryuji and Minori gathered together at the school registrar with the Ohashi Light Music Club charter in their hands, Satoshi had the perfect chance to do that.

"So Satoshi." Yuusaku said, turning to the drummer with a cautionary voice, "This is our last chance to back out. Once we pass this paper, the Light Music Club will come to life."

And so would many of the monsters that had haunted Satoshi's heart and mind. The drummer however was determined to face these monsters with his honor held high.

"Most of my life has been about backing out and not taking chances." Satoshi then said, "This time will be different. Let's pass this sheet."

Yuusaku nodded and handed the sheet over to the registrar. Satoshi knew that if ever he was to understand that mystery, burying the Light Music Club in disdain would do him no good. He had to embrace it as his sister did before him and maybe he can grow to face her, Azusa and the rest again without shame at the end of it all. Hopefully.

"Alright then." Yuusaku then said, turning to the three of them with a smile, "From now on, we are the Ohashi High Light Music Club!"

* * *

Immediately after passing the newly drafted chapter, the four core members of the club assembled at one of the unused classrooms in the older section of the High School building which would be the new club's headquarters. The music room had already been claimed by the other music clubs after all and Satoshi knew from experience that sharing a clubroom with another music club wouldn't work out very well. Thus, the unused classroom was the perfect place to set up shop.

Sawako Yamanaka was their instructor, the same role she had played for the Sakura-gakou Light Music Club. When she met with the four at the classroom, nostalgia was quick to flood her memory and she nearly broke into tears.

"Were my sister and her friends really that hard to handle?" Satoshi asked in jest

Sawako sniffed and nodded in confirmation. Getting a hold of herself, the teacher helped them secure some furniture for the clubroom. The school didn't have a lot of disposable income so they had to make do with a folding table, a set of folding chairs, a second-hand keyboard, a basic drum kit and an electric water boiler

"Umm… excuse me." Ryuji said scratching his cheek, "We're operating on a limited budget here right? Why did we spend some of it getting a water boiler? We could have gotten some better chairs… or a broom."

"So that we can make tea, of course." Sawako said with a grin, "I'm sure Satoshi-kun can explain."

Satoshi shrugged then told them about what little he knew about the Light Music Club of her sister, most of it involving tea. He remembers Ritsu telling him once that tea was an integral part of the club and that they probably wouldn't be able to operate without that tea. Ryuji was a little skeptical about the logic of that but Minori and Yuusaku had no complaints. Once Satoshi brewed some tea for them all, even Ryuji was swayed over to their side.

"Satoshi-kun, I approve of this practice!" Minori then said, giving the drummer a thumbs up, "Nothing can soothe the soul of a tired advocate of the Mysterious Files better than a nice cup of tea!"

"Yes." Yuusaku agreed, "And perhaps a little tea time might calm down the Palmtop Tiger."

At the mention of the Palmtop Tiger, the classroom door slammed open and a lone figure walked in with a stubbornly puffy face. It was Taiga.

"Alright, I'm here like I promised." She said impatiently, "Do your worst."

"Good afternoon, Aisaka-san." Yuusaku said with a smile, "Would you like some tea?"

Yuusaku then handed the girl his teacup, gesturing her to go ahead and try some.

"Kitamura-kun," Sawako then noted, "weren't you just drinking from that a moment ago?"

"Oh right, I was!" Yuusaku said, laughing at his slip of the mind. Taiga however quickly turned beet red. She must have thought it would have meant having an indirect kiss. Satoshi shook his head in amusement then quickly got on to brewing another cup of tea for the girl.

"Here you go Aisaka-san." Satoshi said handing the girl a new cup of tea, "You can mark this particular cup if you want so you don't get mixed up the next time."

Taiga looked as if she was going to thank Satoshi for a while before changing her mind and taking the cup from him without saying a word. For some odd reason, he remembered acting the same way to his parents back at home and sometimes even to Ritsu. He now knew they must have taken it now that he was on the other side of the fence.

Before long, the last member of the club, Kouji Haruta, arrived as well.

"Hello everybody!" He greeted energetically, "Oh, and I see the Tiger is here too."

Taiga growled at the mention of her newly coined nickname, but chose to sip tea rather than pounce on the clown.

"Oy, now's not the time to get her riled up again, you know." Satoshi said, giving Kouji a cup of tea of his own, "Here, have some tea."

"Aww fine." Kouji sighed, "Thanks _Tanaka-san_."

The way Kouji said 'Tanaka-san' didn't sit well with Satoshi. He had already tried avoiding Kouji in the hallways the moment he knew he was studying in Ohashi High too since he was one of the few people who knew his old self and his uncreative last name was his only disguise. Approaching him and giving him tea like that must have been a mistake, but not giving him tea when he had made some for everyone else would have raised his suspicion and wouldn't do him any good.

Trying not to mind that for now, He then led Kouji to a seat at the table and the first meeting of the Ohashi High Light Music Club began.

"Without further ado, Aisaka-san, Haruta-san, welcome to the Light Music Club." Yuusaku said, spearheading the meeting as the new president of the new club, "I believe we are all acquainted with each other so let's get down to business. The Light Music Club is basically a band and we have to know who will be doing what."

It was the million dollar question at the moment. With the way things stood, the band had a drummer, a bassist an acoustic guitarist and a pianist. What exactly would the furious Taiga Aisaka and the laid-back Kouji Haruta put to the table? Satoshi knew that Kouji dabbled in playing the piano every so often but he wasn't really an inclined player. Also, he wasn't sure if a setup with two keyboard players would work out very well.

"I used to play piano, but I never really was any good." Kouji said, "My relatives have connections in the local music scene though. I can be like a middleman of sorts, would that be alright?"

"That would be helpful, Haruta-kun." Sawako said approvingly, "That way, the club would easily be able to find a gig."

"Okay, so welcome on board then." Yuusaku said with a nod, "Now Aisaka-san, it's your turn."

Now that everyone's attention was on her, the small girl smirked.

"Electric guitar." She said confidently, "I can play the electric guitar and sing at the same time. And I'm pretty good at it too."

"Prove it." Satoshi then said, shocked that she was so confident about her own talent.

"I can't really do that if there isn't any electric guitar for me to rock out on." Taiga said deviously, leaning back into her chair and humming victoriously.

"Wrong." Sawako then said, "There's uh… an electric guitar in the main music room's store room."

At that point, Satoshi expected the girl to flinch. There was no way in the world someone like her would be an electric guitar player, and a good one at that. She must have just been trying to act cool in the midst of everyone else. However, she didn't. She was dead serious about it.

Led by Sawako, the four club members and the two new prospects marched to the Music Room where they found the alleged electric guitar – a flying V. Sawako didn't mention anything about who owned the guitar but Taiga didn't mind. The small girl wore the electric guitar, plugged it into an amplifier as if it were second nature as the rest watched in awe. She fretted the strings and ran a pick through them, unleashing a loud overdriven growl from the amplifier. She then pointed at Satoshi and said,

"Prepare to weep, nonbeliever! It's a little song I made – it's called Pre-Parade*!"

Satoshi cringed at the girl's confidence. Was she really able to pull this off? Not minding his entrenched doubt, she started to play. To Satoshi's surprise, she was pretty damn good.

The girl then strummed the guitar and played chords like they were nothing to her. Everyone's jaws dropped in amazement but Sawako was exceedingly amused. Taiga wasn't lying about knowing how to play the electric guitar well and the melodic roars of the flying V blew Satoshi's mind. Her fingers tickled the strings effortlessly and her picking was of breakneck speed. How the hell did this happen?

The drummer had thought that he would be the most seasoned musician of the group, but here he was having his ass handed to him by the newcomer girl. She had already handed his ass to him with that flying kick attack a few days ago, but he never would have expected this sort of beat down. However, it was a beat down that he was starting to enjoy.

Taiga's song then ended; sweat dripping down her face and the lingering sound of the last chord she played still hanging about the room. Satoshi then broke the silence by applauding the girl's performance.

"What a kind gesture for a nonbeliever." Taiga grinned, "So what do you think?"

"I think this club will be going places." Satoshi said, "I had my doubts, but this club will be going places."

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I have updated the Reaching for the Stars section of my profile to include links to the songs I had included, the same way I did for Time Out! Substitution and Full Court Press!


	29. Author's Announcement

**Reaching for the Stars**

**Author's Announcement**

Dear readers,

I would, first, like to take this moment to apologize for the horrendously long update times between the chapters of **Reaching for the Stars**. There are a few reasons for that.

1. I had a lot on my plate in RL and had to focus more on that

2. RftS became a secondary story when I finally decided to take the **Full Court Press! Series** seriously

3. There was a big change in my writing style over the years. RftS was written shortly after the time I stopped writing **Shuffle! The Red Dawn**, the very first story I wrote for FanFiction. I started developing my current style in RftS, but it only really took shape and grew in the FCP series. In a sense, FCP became RftS 2.0, or 5.0 even.

4. I lost interest in the story. It's complicated and there are a lot of reasons… I could spend a day telling you all about it, but I'll spare you the rambling.

Naturally, this means this story has come to a standstill.

I am still willing to try to move this story forward, but I am not really sure about that right now. So now, my dear readers, I ask you to lend me a hand and help me decide what to do. On my profile page, I've set up a Referendum poll with four options; Continue the story, Rewrite the story, Focus on my other K-ON! Fics or Focus on my PMMM Fic. Please take some time to cast your votes!

Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear from you soon!

E. Pedro


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